Andrew Foster-Williams

Andrew Foster-Williams has carved out a distinguished international career playing a wide range of operatic roles, each brought to life with vocal authority, dramatic insight and stylistic finesse.

His portrayal of Don Pizarro (Fidelio) at the Theater an der Wien and the Philharmonie de Paris brought his ability to channel menace with vocal precision to the fore. As the Four Villains (Les contes d’Hoffmann), he demonstrated his versatility in a new production by Andreas Homoki at Zurich Opera House and in subsequent productions for Gothenburg Opera and the Komische Oper Berlin, while his Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress) at Opéra National de Lorraine was acclaimed for its blend of charm and danger. He returns to ENO this season as Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), conducted by Dinis Sousa.

He has also been acclaimed in roles such as Gunther (Götterdämmerung)and Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde), both at La Monnaie; Captain Balstrode (Peter Grimes) at Theater an der Wien and Opéra de Lyon; Lysiart (Euryanthe) at Theater an der Wien; and Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande) at Theater Basel.
Outside the opera house, he has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra. This season sees him in two of his signature pieces: Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with the Munich Philharmonic under Andrew Manze and with Tampere Philharmonic conducted by Matthew Halls; and Brahms’s A German Requiem with the Polish National Radio Orchestra and Andrew Manze. Elsewhere he appears in concert with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in Sibelius’s Kullervo and in Michael Haydn’s Requiem with Munich Philharmonic and Riccardo Minasi.

Andrew Foster-Wiliams’s discography includes Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II and Haydn’s The Seasons, as well as award-winning contributions to the Opéra français series. His performance in The Fairy Queen with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, captured on DVD, earned a Gramophone Award, as did his recording of The Dream of Gerontius with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort and Players.

Baritone

Mae Andrew Foster-Williams wedi mwynhau gyrfa ryngwladol arbennig yn chwarae amrywiaeth eang o rolau operatig, gan ddod â phob un yn fyw gydag awdurdod lleisiol, mewnwelediad dramatig a sglein o ran arddull.

Yn ei bortread o Don Pizarro (Fidelio) yn Theater an der Wien a’r Philharmonie de Paris amlygwyd ei allu i sianelu bygythiad gyda phwyslais ar gywirdeb lleisiol. Fel y Pedwar Dihiryn (Les contes d’Hoffmann), dangosodd ei amlochredd mewn cynhyrchiad newydd gan Andreas Homoki yn Nhŷ Opera Zurich ac mewn cynyrchiadau dilynol i Opera Gothenburg a’r Komische Oper Berlin, tra cafodd ei Nick Shadow (The Rake’s Progress) yn Opéra National de Lorraine ei ganmol am y modd y cyfunai swyn a pherygl. Mae’n dychwelyd at yr ENO y tymor hwn fel Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), dan arweiniad Dinis Sousa.

Mae hefyd wedi ennill canmoliaeth mewn rhannau fel Gunther (Götterdämmerung) a Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde), y ddau yn La Monnaie; Capten Balstrode (Peter Grimes) yn Theater an der Wien ac Opéra de Lyon; Lysiart (Euryanthe) yn Theater an der Wien; a Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande) yn Theater Basel. Y tu allan i’r tŷ opera, mae wedi ymddangos gyda Cherddorfa Cleveland, Symffoni San Francisco, Cerddorfa Frenhinol Concertgebouw a Cherddorfa Ffilharmonig Llundain. Y tymor hwn mae’n perfformio mewn dau ddarn cyfarwydd iddo: The Dream of Gerontius gan Elgar gyda Cherddorfa Ffilharmonig Munich o dan arweiniad Andrew Manze a gyda Cherddorfa Ffilharmonig Tampere dan arweiniad Matthew Halls; ac Ein deutsches Requiem Brahms gyda Cherddorfa Radio Cenedlaethol Gwlad Pwyl ac Andrew Manze. Mae’n ymddangos hefyd mewn cyngerdd gyda Cherddorfa Symffoni Genedlaethol Estonia yn Kullervo Sibelius ac yn Requiem Michael Haydn gyda Cherddorfa Ffilharmonig Munich a Riccardo Minasi.

Mae disgograffeg Andrew Foster-Williams yn cynnwys Cantata ar Farwolaeth yr Ymerawdwr Joseph II gan Beethoven a The Seasons gan Haydn, ac mae wedi ennill gwobrau am ei gyfraniadau i’r gyfres Opéra français. Enillodd Wobr Gramophone am ei berfformiad yn The Fairy Queen gydag Opera Gŵyl Glyndebourne, a ryddhawyd ar DVD, a hefyd am ei recordiad o The Dream of Gerontius gyda Paul McCreesh a’r Gabrieli Consort and Players.