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Christopher Maltman

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Christopher Maltman was born in Cleethorpes in 1970 and is a British operatic baritone who performs internationally. He studied biochemistry at the University of Warwick, then music at the Royal Academy of Music, and trained with British Youth Opera. In 1997 he won the Lieder Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. The same year he made his debut at the Royal Opera in London, where he has since sung more than fifteen leading roles, including Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.

Music and breakthrough

In the great opera houses of Europe and North America he specialised in the Italian dramatic baritone repertoire, above all Verdi's Rigoletto, but also Rodrigo in Don Carlo, Simon Boccanegra and Ford in Falstaff. In 2019 he sang the title role of Enescu's Œdipe at the Salzburg Festival, and in 2020 Jochanaan in Richard Strauss's Salome in Frankfurt. One reviewer praised his sturdy yet lyrical voice. He made many recordings of song repertoire, including Schumann's Dichterliebe with Graham Johnson, a Debussy album with Malcolm Martineau and English songs with Roger Vignoles. He also sang in Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music and in A Sea Symphony in 2003.

Influence

Maltman is known as a singer who masters both the dramatic opera stage and the chamber music of song. His recordings of English songs keep alive a tradition that is little known outside Britain. His work shows that the story in a song can be told in a way that is both theatrical and intimate.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to his recording of Schumann's Dichterliebe and notice how the piano and the voice follow each other. Try to hear how the singer gives each song its own colour and mood.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists