Celebrated for the expressive power of his voice and adventurous musical choices, British countertenor Hugh Cutting is redefining the possibilities of his voice type on both opera and recital stages. The first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award and a recipient of the Rising Star Award at the International Opera Awards, he combines luminous vocal artistry with an instinct for musical storytelling.
Hugh has built an international opera career spanning major houses and significant roles. His debut at La Scala, Milan came as Corindo in Cesti’s Orontea; other notable appearances include the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Eurydice with The Dallas Opera, the Boy in George Benjamin’s Written on Skin at Deutsche Oper Berlin — a production he has also taken to Stavanger (conducted by the composer) and Rome with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia — and the world premiere of Anthony Bolton’s Island of Dreams at Grange Park Opera, in which he created the role of Ariel.
On the concert platform, Hugh has appeared at Wigmore Hall and made his US debut at Carnegie Hall with Bernard Labadie and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has performed with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie, The English Concert, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Les Violons du Roy, among others, in repertoire ranging from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and St Matthew Passion to Handel and Monteverdi.
A passionate champion of new music, Hugh has premiered works by Alex Ho, Piers Connor Kennedy, Elena Langer, Anna Semple, and Tara Viscardi, and leads his own ensemble, Refound. His debut album REFOUND, recorded with pianist Audrey Hyland, is released on Linn Records.
A former choral scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge, Hugh went on to study at the Royal College of Music, where he was a member of the International Opera Studio and was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal.
Hugh is represented internationally Askonas Holt.
