Allan Clayton

Allan Clayton is established as one of the most exciting and sought-after singers of his generation. He studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has received numerous awards for his artistic achievements.

Allan garnered huge praise as the lead role in Brett Dean’s “Hamlet”, which had its world premiere at Glyndebourne in June 2017. He reprised the role in March 2018 at the Adelaide Festival. During 2017, Allan also sang the role of David in “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg” of Richard Wagner at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. At the beginning of the 17/18 season, Allan sang the role of Ferdinand in “Miranda", an opera after Henry Purcell and Shakespeare directed by Katie Mitchell for Opera Comique in Paris, and returned to Komische Opera Berlin in 2018 for Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Semele”, and to Glyndebourne for Handel’s “Saul”. In 2019 he made his role debut as Faust in Hector Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” at Glyndebourne. Allan returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2020 as Laca in Leoš Janáček’s “Jenufa”.

Allan’s concert appearances include “The Dream of Gerontius” by Edward Elgar at the Barbican Centre in London with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder, Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Semyon Bychkov, and Handel’s “Messiah” for the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston. He appears regularly at the BBC Proms, where he has sung the title role in “Oedpius Rex” of Igor Stravinsky with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo and also performed in Vaughan Williams’ “Pastoral Symphony” with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He gave the world premiere of Gerald Barry’s new work, Canada, at the 2017 BBC Proms, with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. In 2018, Allan sang in a concert performance of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, and Britten’s “War Requiem” at the National Theater Mannheim. He also sang the “War Requiem” at the 2018 BBC Proms, and then with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Cardiff to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. He joined the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle for Britten’s “Spring Symphony”. During the 19/20 season, he again joins the London Philharmonic for Elgar’s “The Apostles” under Sir Mark Elder, and sings Britten’s “Spring Symphony” with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under Richard Farnes. Allan makes his debut at the Teatro alla Scala singing in Berlioz’s “L’enfance du Christ” under Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

A consummate recitalist, Allan has given lieder recitals at the Cheltenham, Perth and Aldeburgh Festivals. A regular performer at London’s Wigmore Hall, Allan will be a major part of a Britten Series for the 19/20 season, taking part in seven concerts celebrating the composer’s works that will include many of his usual collaborators, including James Baillieu, Sophie Bevan, James Newby and Louise Alder.

As of May 2020