“Nicholas Ransley as Leicester is the star of the show, elegant in appearance, manner and musical style, with a piercing tenor that suggests he could soon be Essex in a far greater Gloriana opera”
Mary Stuart / English Touring Opera / The Spectator

The Earl of Leicester Mary Stuart

Engagements this season include a return to Scottish Opera to sing Prince Ramiro La Cenerentola and Normanno Lucia di Lammermoor, also Gonzalve L’Heure Espagnole for Opera Project, Dewi Sant by Arwell Hughes for Harrow Choral Society, Puccini Messa di Gloria and Mozart Mass in C at Arundel Cathedral and Petite Messe Solennelle with Bath Choral Society and Swansea Philharmonic Choir. Nick will be appearing on 'Friday Night is Music Night' on 1st February and will be singing Una Furtiva Lagrima and Maria. If you miss this live broadcast you can listen to it at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2.

Future work includes his first Nemorino L'Elisir d'amore for Lyric Opera, Paris La Belle Helene for Diva Opera, Gastone La Traviata in David McVicar's new production for Scottish Opera, Battleproms concerts at various locations throughout the UK and The Messiah at the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham.

Highlights last season included his first Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville for Cork Opera 2005, Rodolfo La Bohème for Scottish Opera, Forresto Attila for Lyric Opera Ireland, Camille The Merry Widow for Opera Holland Park, a gala with Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Elijah with Sir Willard White at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Puccini Messa di Gloria at Sunderland Minster, Haydn Missa Sancti Nicolai in Plymouth and A Prom in the Park with Katherine Jenkins. Nick also created the role of Neil Armstrong in Jonathan Dove's opera Man on the Moon which was shown Last Christmas on Channel 4.

as Almaviva, Cork Opera 2005

Born in Hertfordshire, Nick began his career as an actor studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, London. Roles included Stanley Kowalski A Streetcar Named Desire, Val Xavier Orpheus Descending, Heathcliffe Wuthering Heights, Romeo Romeo and Juliet and Frank Churchill / Mr Weston in Emma. Nick trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he played the title role in Albert Herring and Vakula in Tchaikovsky’s Cherevichki.

He made his debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera singing Chodec in Janacek’s Kat’a Kabanova. At ENO he played Borsa in Jonathan Miller’s acclaimed production of Rigoletto which was broadcast live on Channel 4. At Opera Holland Park Nick performed the roles of Nadir Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Flavio Norma and Raffaele Stiffelio. For English Touring Opera Nick has performed Don José Carmen, Macduff Macbeth, Don Ottavio Don Giovanni and in 2005 Leicester in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda, nominated for the South Bank Show Opera Award. Nick’s work has taken him all over the world including a tour of the USA for Columbia Artists performing Don José Carmen. Nick created the role of The Doctor in Ligea by Reed-Thomas for the Spoleto Festival, Italy and toured extensively as Cavaradossi Tosca for European Chamber Opera in the Middle East and South East Asia. Other roles have included Rodolfo La Bohème for Lyric Opera, The Opera Project and Swansea City Opera, Pinkerton Madama Butterfly with Co-Opera Ireland, Il Duca Rigoletto for Mid Wales and Lyric Opera Ireland, Ferrando Cosi fan tutte for Stowe Opera, Camille for Lyric Opera and Cavaradossi Tosca for Central Festival Opera and London City Opera.

Nick has sung in many of the leading concert venues throughout Great Britain and Europe. These have included The Barbican Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, National Concert Hall in Dublin and Sala Sinopoli, Parco della Musica, Rome where Nick performed Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio. He recently sang Mozart’s arrangement of Handel’s Messiah with The Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

On the Oratorio platform Nick has performed many major works including Bach Magnificat, St John Passion and Mass in B Minor, Beethoven Missa Solemness, Handel Messiah, Samson and Israel in Egypt, Haydn Creation, Harmoniemesse, Nelson Mass and Mass in D minor, Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, Janacek Glagolitic Mass, Mozart Requiem and Mass in C Minor, Orff Carmina Burana, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Verdi Requiem and Tippet A Child of Our Time.

with Rachel Nicholls Flashmob The Opera

Nick was the star of BBC Television’s multi award winning Flashmob-The-Opera playing Mike and has worked regularly with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra. Nick has performed live on BBC Radio Three’s ‘In Tune’, sung at Wembley for BBC 'Pitch Perfect' concert and is featured on London City Opera’s recording Love Unspoken with the Brandenberg Sinfonia. On 10th February 2006, Nick appeared in ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ on BBC Radio 2. The programme included 'Che Gelida manina' and ‘O soave fanciulla' from La Boheme and 'Tonight' from West Side Story. You can listen to a recording of the concert at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2.

as Neil Armstrong in Dove's Man on the Moon

(January 2008)

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