About

Tenor Richard Robbins sings with ‘irresistible baritone softness’ according to Classical Source and has just been appointed a Young Artist for the City Music Foundation 2020-22.

He has recently collaborated with Ante Terminum Productions to acclaim for his portrayal of the Madwoman in Britten’s Curlew River, with the Spectator describing his acting to be ‘expertly judged.’

Richard has also been a Young Artist for Handel House, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder, Brighton Early Music and has participated in a Fellowship with St. Martin in the Fields. This has led to workshops and masterclasses with artists like Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott, Mark Padmore CBE, John Mark - Ainsley OBE, Roger Vignoles and Ann Murray.

He currently studies with Amanda Roocroft and studied Vocal Performance on the postgraduate course at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of renowned tenor, the late Philip Doghan and highly respected interpreter of song, Joseph Middleton, winning the Rhonda Jones Scholarship upon graduation.

He has collaborated with well respected ensembles and sung solo performances of Bach’s B Minor Mass with The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Beethoven’s Mass in C with the London Mozart Players. He has soloed with The Southbank Sinfonia and musicians from the Academy of Ancient Music and his recent performances include Oratorio, Opera and Concert work in venues such as; St. Martin-in-the-Fields; King's Place; Hackney Empire and The National Portrait Gallery. Forthcoming ensemble performances include working with Festival Voices on an electronica infused version of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and a concert collaboration in October with Baroque group, Ensemble Tircis, for Handel House. He is also a founding member of the Chamber Choir of London under the direction of Dominic Peckham which tours across Europe and the UK.

Beyond singing, Richard is a keen conductor, advocate of youth engagement in music and singing teaching. In this regard he conducts both Egham Choral and Bookham Choral Society, runs educational projects for Leeds Lieder and Handel House and organises and runs extracurricular music activities for the renowned music department at Farnborough Sixth Form College. He is also a teacher of singing at Wellington College.

Since graduating from Royal Holloway with First Class Honours, Richard continues to be generously sponsored by The Richard Stapley Trust, The Devon Educational Trust and The Veronica Awdry Foundation.

Richard spearheaded the campaign to Save the National Musicians’ Church from shutting its doors to musicians, gathering much press and social media attention. Consequently, he has helped create a new hub for church based rehearsal venues which can be found at www.musicianschurch.org

Recent Reviews

Read Reviews of Richard's work.

Curlew River 1

Ante Terminum Productions, a new London-based opera company, launched in style with Britten’s Curlew River, which had its premiere in St Bartholomew’s, Orford, in 1964, and, over half a century later, has alighted for a short run (until January 13) at the mysterious and magnificent church of St Bartholomew the Great, in Smithfield.

Curlew River 2

Read The Spectator's Richard Bratby's assessment of our 'powerful' production Curlew River.

CURLEW RiVER 3

This was my first encounter with this Britten church parable. And I totally loved it. Half of it is because the music is genius (so atmospheric!) and the other half because it was presented by Ante Terminum Productions in a perfect way.