»Splendid flexibility, silvery clarity and intensely expressive - Deborah York is outstanding.«
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, Eleonore Büning
»unbelievable clarity and intonation....out of this world«
LA STAGIONE FRANKFURT
»A stunning performance«
Early Music Review
»Deborah York totally stole the show, incredibly agile, perfectly phrased, every note formed with proper distinctive colour.«
Tom Sutcliffe, Evening Standard
»Sweet lyric coloratura [...]. Subtlety and good taste are the mark of her bel canto style.«
The Independent
»The soprano Deborah York soared above everyone with a voice of crystal. What style, what poetry pours out of her throat!«
»An Angelic soprano«
The Times
»Inspired!«
Berliner Zeitung
»Masterfully accomplished«
Berliner Morgenpost
»Bach-Singer par excellence«
classic.com
Early days...
Deborah York was born in Sheffield and graduated from Manchester University with a first class honours degree before going on to further her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
At a time in the U.K. when concert, operatic and ‚early music’ and ‚contemporary music’ careers seemed to be mutually exclusive, Deborah was determined to cross boundaries and cultivate her art in all fields.
Her operatic career began at Glyndebourne with the role of Servilla in La Clemenza di Tito which led to her first engagements at Covent Garden as Barbarina in Figaro and Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore. Soon after she performed the role of Mirror, written for her by Harrision Birtwistle for his opera The 2nd Mrs Kong at Glyndebourne.
During this time she was also busy working with various early music ensembles in London and appearing regularly in oratorio performances in Cathedrals throughout England. She was soon in demand singing Handel and italian baroque music, touring and recording extensively throughout europe with conductors such as Markus Creed, Ottavio Dantone, Marc Minkowsky, Christophe Rousset, Paul McCreesh,Trevor Pinnock, Rinaldo Alessandrini, The King’s Consort and Alessandro de Marchi.
Opera...
Operatic engagements with René Jacobs took her to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin and a recording of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress with John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, in which Deborah sang the role of Anne Truelove, won a Grammy Award for best opera category.
On the operatic stage Deborah is appreciated for her musical integrity and for portraying a variety of characters both lyrical and comic with disarming honesty. Deborah has performed in opera houses throughout the world including Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Sydney Opera House, Tel Aviv, Ferrara, Semperoper Dresden and Amsterdam.
She was a regular guest at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich for a number of years creating roles such as L’Amour’ in Gluck’s Orphée, Lucia in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia, Oberto in Handel’s Alcina and Almirena in Handel’s Rinaldo. Some were recorded live for dvd.
Next summer Deborah will make her debut singing the role of Fiordiligi in a new production of Mozart's 'Cosí fan tutte' for Festival de Torroella, conducted by Julien Salemkour (Staatskappelmeister Berliner Staatsoper) and directed by Derek Gimpel. She also sings Belinda in Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' at the Schiller Theater in Berlin.
Bach...
The year 2000 was Bach year and Deborah was the soprano soloist of choice for the leading period ensembles specialising in performances of Bach cantatas. She toured the world over and made many cd recordings with Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale and with Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.
Deborah will take part in performances of all Bach sacred cantatas planned for Joventuts Musicals in Catalunya and for Bach performances with La Verdi Barocca in Milan.
Chamber music...
Deborah regularly gives solo baroque recitals. Next season she will perform a recital of 'Mad Songs' with harpsichordist Olga Filippova at the 'December Nights' Festival in St Petersburg, a recital of Purcell songs and scottish fiddle music with lutenist Elisabeth Kenny and violinist Georg Kallweit in the 'Zeitfenster' Festival Berlin and give a solo recital in Schwetzingen. She will also tour America and Canada including a concert at the Carnegie Hall with countertenor Daniel Taylor and the Theatre of Early Music, performing a duo recital programme 'Handel Love Duets'.
Having spent many years performing baroque chamber music Deborah is keen to explore later periods again and to sing with modern instruments. She recently performed the world premiere of ‚Far away in the ocean’ by Reza Namawar, written for her and the 12 cellos of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra for the Cello Biennale 2010. A CD of the piece will be recorded by them next year. A recital with pianist Helen Collyer performing Messiaen 'Poemes Pour Mi' is also planned for Berlin.
Addendum...
Baroque authenticity...?
Not content with over simplified, often thinly disguised nationalistic prejudices regarding baroque style, I am acutely aware of the special priveledge the role of invited soloist affords. I have sung with many european baroque ensembles and leading conductors from Italy, France, England, Germany and the Netherlands, each bringing with it its own unique treasure trove of accumulated musical tradition and stylistic wisdom. What never ceases to delight is the discourse which ensues as new constellations of musicians come together. What interests me much more than ‘getting it right’ is getting it right for me and for us, here and now.
Of course there are obvious parameters which have to be met, but even pronunciation or having a ‚feel’ for a language is not as clear cut as it may appear. Just how did English sound in the time of Henry Purcell? Did Bach sing with a broad Saxon accent? What about the italian spoken in Naples with all its spanish influence compared to that spoken in Rome or Venice? The more one looks, the more subjective and contingent our decisions seem to be. Taste is evolving all the time, and rightly so!
Deborah’s extensive discography includes over 25 cds and 5 dvds in concert and opera, live and in the studio.
Her latest disc is a reconstruction of Marienvespers by Grandi and was recorded in Stuttgart in 2010, directed by Matthew Halls.