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Chris Swithinbank
Primary Skill:
Bass-Baritone
Nationality:
British
Country:
United Kingdom
Links:
Languages (fluent):
English, Italian, German, French
Opera
Contemporary Opera
Chorus
Choral
Covered Covered & Performed Scenes Premiere of New Work Concert COVID-cancelled
“I know not why”by P.N.Edmonds
CS28
D8837406-BAF7-4E61-B691-0AC337FD0029
IMG 0072
IMG 0596
IMG 0597
IMG 0708
SEMR 2 - 3
Carmen (Opera Integra) “Chris Swithinbank and Mike Wells were the charmingly unsavoury Le Dancaïre and Le Remendado respectively, each showing a devious wiliness that was great fun to watch. All four were individually very good, but fantastic when interacting as a quartet.” Matt Bentley NODA (2025)
La Traviata (Instant Opera): “…… and bass Chris Swithinbank imbues [Grenvil] with solicitous gravitas”…. Helen Shapiro The Stage (2023)
La Traviata (Instant Opera): “Chris Swithinbank is the kindly Doctor Grenvil, and his sensitive portrayal is matched by his confident and tuneful bass-baritone voice” Celia Bard www.markaspen.com (2023)
Review as a composer: ……”we were so overwhelmed with the quality of what was produced that we made the decision to award the prize to two incredible composers for their contributions: Chris Swithinbank for his quirky, brilliant setting of the Christopher Hassall poem “The Unexpected Prologue” and Seth Bisen-Hersh for his beautifully hopeful song “We Will Get Through This”. Awarded joint first prize The London Song Festival Competition (2020)
Highlights in 2026:
Bernstein Symphony 3, Kaddish, (Les Siècles with Philharmonia Chorus) in Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris.
Benoît & Alcindoro in La Bohème (Hastings Philharmonic and Opera SouthEast)
Manon Lescaut (Rose Opera)
Verdi Requiem (Rose Opera)
2025 appearances included:
War Requiem (Outcry Ensemble)
Un Mandarino & Chorus in Turandot (Instant Opera)
Polyphemus in Acis & Galetea (Cockpit Theatre, Ensemble OrQuesta)
Morales & Le Duncaïre in Carmen (Opera Integra);
Shostakovich 13 & Survivor from Warsaw (Philharmonia Chorus with Orchestre National de Lille) concerts in Lille and Paris;
Benoît & Alcindoro in La Bohème (Opera Greenwich).
2024: Un Sagrestano & Sciarrone in Tosca (Rose Opera);
Cadmus & Somnus in Semele (Cockpit Theatre, Ensemble OrQuesta);
2023: Dottore Grenvil/Chorus (Germont cover) in La Traviata (Instant Opera);
Patrick/Heger/Rochester cover in Brontë (comp. Lisa Logan) at Grimeborn (Arcola);
Melisso in Alcina (Ensemble OrQuesta);
Leander in The love for three Oranges (Regents Opera workshop);
Singer with Londinium in “Tribute to Sir Harrison Birtwistle” with London Sinfonietta at the Queen Elizabeth Hall;
Singer in London Euphony Choir in “Libera Nos” (comp. Polo Piatti) world première at De La Warr Pavilion;
2022: Chorus in Lucia di Lammamoor (Instant Opera); The Wizard Mystah Byegee in The Crocodile of Old King Pow (comp. Darren Berry) for Tête-à-Tête. Dartington 2022 with Stile Antico and Advanced Vocal Masterclasses with James Gilchrist;
Benoît/Alcindoro in La Bohème (Putney Festival), Benoît/Alcindoro in La Bohème (Hastings Philharmonic dir. Marcio da Silva), Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni (Ensemble Orquesta), Chorus in Nabucco and La Forza del Destino (Regents Opera)
Previous experience:
In 2021: Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro (Ensemble OrQuesta).
Chorus in La Bohème (Hampstead Garden Opera), the roles of Osman and Huascar in Les Indes Galantes (Ensemble OrQuesta) and Chorus & Cover for Daland in Der Fliegender Holländer (Rose Opera).
A founding member of “Incantation”, the chart-topping world music group of the 1980’s , Chris worked for 12 years as Company Pianist for Rambert Dance Company and currently works as a guest pianist for English National Ballet.
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