Soloists

Ashley Riches

British bass-baritone Ashley Riches read English at the University of Cambridge where he was a member of the King’s College Choir under Stephen Cleobury. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. A former Jette Parker Young Artist, his roles for the Royal Opera House include Morales Carmen, Mandarin Turandot, Baron Douphol La Traviata and Officer Les Dialogues des Carmelites. For the English National Opera, he has sung Escamillo Carmen, Count Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro, Schaunard La Bohème and the Pirate King The Pirates of Penzance.

Highlights on the concert platform include Berlioz’s Lélio with Sir John Eliot Gardiner in Carnegie Hall, Bernstein’s Wonderful Town with the Sir Simon Rattle/London Symphony Orchestra, a European tour of Giulio Cesare and Agrippina with Christophe Rousset /Les Talens Lyriques, and Creon Oedipus Rex with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2022/23 he sings Angelotti Tosca with Edward Gardner/Bergen Philharmonic, Messiaen’s St Francois d’Assise with Ryan Wigglesworth/BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri with Daniel Harding/Czech Philharmonic, Panthée in Berlioz’s Les Troyens on tour with John Eliot Gardiner/The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras as well as concerts with Sir Andrew Davis/City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Stephen Layton/Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Harry Bicket/The English Concert, Paul McCreesh/Gabrieli Consort & Players/ and Sir Mark Elder/The Hallé.