Counter-tenor Tim Mead is praised for his "alluring" and "consistently excellent" interpretations of a wide range of repertoire (New York Times). With his "rich, mellifluous sound" (Guardian), he is recognised as one of the finest countertenors performing today.
Highlights of the 2024/25 season include Tim Mead’s debut with Pinchgut Opera in the title role of Handel's "Giulio Cesare", Farnace in Mozart's "Mitridate" for Teatro Real, Ruggiero in Vivaldi's "Orlando Furioso" for The Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival and Bertarido in Handel's "Rodelinda" at Garsington Opera. On the concert platform, Mead will perform a recital with Voice and Lute at Wigmore Hall, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Colasanti's "Time’s Cruel Hand" with The Cleveland Orchestra, as well as continue his long standing relationships with Les Musiciens de Saint Julien, Academy of Ancient Music, Dresden Philharmonic and Les Grandes Voix for performances of Handel's "Messiah", Songs and Dances by Purcell and Bach's "St John Passion".
Recent highlights include his return to the Dutch National Opera for Ottone in Handel's "Agrippina" and the title role in Handel's "Giulio Cesare" for the Bach Collegium Japan. On the concert platform, Mead performed the title role in Handel's "Amadigi di Gaula" with the English Concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields alongside prestigious engagements with ensembles including the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Netherlands Bach Society and Orchestra Classique de Montréal.
Tim Mead is lauded for his interpretations of the great Handel counter-tenor roles, with recent highlights including Dardano in "Amadigi di Gaula" for Garsington Opera, Hamor in "Jephtha" at the Opéra National de Paris, Goffredo in "Rinaldo" at Glyndebourne, Athamas in "Semele" for Opera Philadelphia, Bertarido in "Rodelinda" for Opera de Lille and the English National Opera, and Ottone in "Agrippina" for Opera Vlaanderen. Other recent stage highlights include Ulisse in Sarro's "Achille in Sciro" and Endimione in Cavalli's "La Calisto" at the Teatro Real, Madrid, Apollo in Britten's "Death in Venice" at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Endimione in "La Calisto" for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Oberon in Britten's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" for Glyndebourne, Opera Philadelphia and Bergen National Opera, the title role in Glass' "Akhnaten" for Opera Vlaanderen, Boy/Angel in Benjamin's "Written on Skin" at the Bolshoi, and Arsamene in Cavalli's "Xerse" with Le Concert d’Astrée at Opéra de Lille, Theater an der Wien, and Théâtre de Caen.
On the concert platform, highlights include Handel's "Messiah" with the RIAS Kammerchor, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE), Gabrieli Consort, Handel and Haydn Society, Academy of Ancient Music, Le Concert d’Astrée and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Robin Ticciati; Bach's Mass in B minor with the OAE, English Concert and Les Arts Florissants; Didymus in Handel's "Theodora" with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, English Concert and Arcangelo on tour to the Barbican, De Singel in Antwerpen and Wiener Konzerthaus; Bach's "St Matthew Passion" with Collegium Vocale Gent in a European tour, the London Handel Festival and The Netherlands Bach Society; and elsewhere, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater with Arcangelo and at the BBC Proms, Bach cantatas with La Folia Baroque Orchestra and the Gabrieli Consort, "Written on Skin" with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by George Benjamin, Hamor in "Jephtha" with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the BBC Proms, a European recital tour with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d’Astrée, Bach's "St John Passion" with Jonathan Cohen and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, an appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall, a tour of Asia with Harry Bicket and the English Concert, Athamas in "Semele" with the CBSO and the Handel and Haydn Society, the world premiere of Theo's "Loevendie Spinoza" at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Bach's Magnificat with Le Concert d’Astrée, Handel's "Solomon" with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus" with the OAE, and Handel's "Joseph and his Brethren" at the International Händel-Festspiele Göttingen.
Tim Mead recently released his debut solo album "Sacroprofano" (Alpha Classics, 2023) to great critical claim, adding to an already substantial discography with other releases including "Beauteous Softness" with La Nuova Musica (Pentatone, 2023) and Songs and Dances by Purcell with Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien (Alpha, 2018).
Tim Mead read Music as a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, before continuing his vocal studies at the Royal College of Music.