Tenors: Leopold Simoneau, Nicolai Gedda, Peter Schreier, Rogers Covey-Crump, Christoph Pregardien, Jussi Bjorling, Peter Pears, Ian Bostridge, Juan Diego Florez, Jon Vickers, Mark Padmore, Gerd Turk, David Hamilton, Colin Balzer and of course Luciano Pavarotti!
Tenor Robert Macfarlane completed a Bachelor of Music in December 2006 (with High Distinction in Voice Performance) and graduated with First-class Honours in December 2007 from the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. He studied under the head of vocal studies Keith Hempton. He has also been awarded a Helpmann Optus Mentorship to study with soprano Merlyn Quaife in Melbourne and continues studies in Adelaide with Mezzo-Soprano Cheryl Pickering. Robert has participated in Masterclasses and private lessons with many distinguished singers, teachers and repetiteurs including Simon O’Neill, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Roy Howat, David Hamilton, Kenneth Griffiths and David Harper. He also studied and performed in recital with pianist Malcolm Martineau during his Adelaide residency in 2008 which was recorded by ABC Classic FM for broadcast in 2009. Robert will continue intensive German and Italian language study at the University of Adelaide this year.
Robert’s Operatic performances include as an Ensemble Haute-Contre in Charpentier’s David et Jonathas for Pinchgut Opera in Sydney (recorded for ABC Classic CD), Don Curzio in the Marriage of Figaro and Apollo/1st Shepherd in L'Orfeo (State Opera of South Australia), Agenore in Il Re Pastore (Lyric Opera of Melbourne), Count Almaviva in Barber of Seville (State Opera Education/60 Minute Opera), Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte (Elder Conservatorium), Lacouf in The Breasts of Tiresias (State Opera Studio) and the cover of Laurie in Little Women (State Opera). Robert sang the role of Ted Strehlow in workshops of Gordon Kerry’s Ingkata for State Opera in 2007 and has performed with the State Opera chorus since 2004. 2009’s operatic performances include the Australian premiere of The Shouting Fence by British composer Richard Chew and the role of Joe in Puccini’s Fanciulla del West, both for the State Opera of South Australia.
Bach Performances -
Robert has performed the Evangelist in Bach’s St John Passion at St Peters Cathedral in Adelaide and the Evangelist in Bach’s St Matthew Passion for the Adelaide Harmony Choir. He received the 2008 Bach scholarship from St. John’s Southgate in Melbourne, enabling his performances in St.John’s presentation of the complete Bach Cantata’s in their liturgical context. This saw him perform as tenor soloist in Cantata’s BWV2, 90, 126, 137 and 148. He has been engaged to perform BWV1, 6, 25 and 55 (Ich Armer Mensch) in 2009. He will also perform the Evangelist in the St Matthew Passion again for the Adelaide Harmony choir; the tenor solo’s in the Mass in B Minor for the Heidelberg Chorale in Melbourne and BWV161 and 211 for Adelaide Baroque.
In addition to his Bach performances, Robert’s concert repertoire includes Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, Handel’s Music for the Carmelites, Messiah (Both under Handel expert Graham Abbott), Orff’s Carmina Burana, Pärt’s Miserere, Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin, Stainer’s The Crucifixion, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time and Vaughan Williams’ On Wenlock Edge. He has given several recitals for the Recitals Australia and the Firm, an Adelaide based concert series which performs new compositions by Australian composers alongside classics of the chamber music repertory. His performance of Schumann's Liederkreis Op.39 and Dichterliebe Op.48 for the Firm won particular praise in 2008, with the nationwide newspaper ‘The Australian’ noting he sang “with a loving legato and understands well the directionality of phrase...a delicious middle register of purring warmth and purity... while many other tenors start to show strain in the top octave, his voice shines out and takes on a sensuous, radiant power. More than that, by thinking of Schumann's songs as musical responses to the poetic word, he enters the true essence of lieder.” For his performances with the Firm he also received mention in two Oscart awards, which are an annual award judged by the music critics of Adelaide newspaper ‘The Advertiser’. Concert performances for 2009 include Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin for the Firm, a concert of Telemann Cantata’s for the Melbourne Early Music Festival, a tour with the Adelaide Youth Orchestra singing Mozart Arias and the Australian premiere of Handel’s Cecilia, Volgi un sguardo with Graham Abbott.
Choral Experience/Awards and Prizes
Robert was a core member of Adelaide Chamber Singers from 2005-2007, and in 2006 toured Canada, the USA and the UK with the group, aided by a Helpmann Academy grant. During this tour he won the solo vocal competition at Kathaumixw, an international choral festival held in Powell River, Canada. Robert has been awarded many other prizes and scholarships, including the Oratorio Award and English Art Song Prize at the Australian National Eisteddfod in Canberra and the voice prize at the South Australian final of the 2007 5MBS Young Performers Award. He has been nominated for the 2009 South Australian Young Achiever Award’s. He has also been offered scholarships at the Opera School, Melbourne and a masters scholarship at the University of Adelaide.
Critical Acclaim
“Given that recitative assumes such importance in Mendelssohn's version, a huge weight of responsibility fell to tenor Robert Macfarlane, amongst the soloists, in the role of the Evangelist. His boundless energy, lyrical tone quality and dramatic instincts served him well as he single-handedly drove the action forward with tremendous verve.” (Bach, Matthew Passion)
Rodney Smith (The Advertiser, April 13th 2009)
“Tenor Robert Macfarlane was spot-on, as ever…” (Adelaide Youth Orchestra, A Night at the Opera)
Peter Burdon (The Advertiser, April 8th 2009)
“…he sings with a loving legato and understands well the directionality of phrase...a delicious middle register of purring warmth and purity... while many other tenors start to show strain in the top octave, his voice shines out and takes on a sensuous, radiant power. More than that, by thinking of Schumann's songs as musical responses to the poetic word, he enters the true essence of lieder.”(Schumann, Liederkreis Op.39 and Dichterliebe Op.48)
Graham Strahle (The Australian, November 2008)
“This recital by young tenor Robert Macfarlane could hardly fail to arouse the admiration of anyone lucky enough to hear it. Performing the entire evening from memory, Macfarlane immersed himself in the imaginative world of these wonderful songs and drew his audience into it as well. Macfarlane’s voice is already showing a lovely, burnished quality unusual in one of his age.” (Schumann, Liederkreis Op.39 and Dichterliebe Op.48)
Stephen Whittington (The Advertiser, November 2008)
“Robert Macfarlane’s eloquent singing stands out…” (Monteverdi,L’Orfeo)
Ewart Shaw (The Advertiser, September 2008)
“Tenor Robert Macfarlane went full voice, no falsetto, right up to the Top D of the already dead roast swan and flopped melodramatically back into his chair as the diners’ bared teeth prepared to munch on him. Surely this is the voice Orff had in his head as he wrote.” (Orff,Carmina Burana)
Elizabeth Silsbury (The Advertiser, June 2008)
“…the sweet solitary sounds from tenor Robert Macfarlane… Fourteen Top C’s for Macfarlane…” (Pärt,Miserere)
Elizabeth Silsbury (The Advertiser, March 2008)
“Tenor Robert Macfarlane sang his solitary recitative with clarity…” (Bach BWV 127)
Clive O’Connell (The Age, February 2008)
“…and the rapidly rising Robert Macfarlane utterly enchanting – cheeky, wooing, hamming, putting on the Ritz – as Lindoro-Count. (Rossini, Barber of Seville)
Elizabeth Silsbury (Opera-Opera, December 2007)
"Robert Macfarlane's Ferrando (move over, David Hobson)...Of all the admirable voices, Macfarlane's is the most remarkable. His light, true tenor floats seamlessly and apparently effortlessly from full to counter-tenor - all the way to an E-Flat in alt...and must have been exactly what Mozart was hearing in his head when he wrote Un' aura amorosa." (Mozart, Cosi Fan Tutte)
Elizabeth Silsbury (Opera-Opera, November 2007)
“The story is related in recitative, aria and chorus, with the bulk of the narration falling to the Evangelist. We were fortunate to have an Evangelist of such quality in Robert Macfarlane who, in addition to his splendid vocal talents, revealed a depth of understanding that belied his youthfulness. He relayed the events with such urgency and engagement that the drama was brought vividly to life.” (Bach, St.John Passion)
Stephen Whittington, The Advertiser, 11th April, 2007
“Rare eloquence…”
The Advertiser (Oscart Awards) Dec 10, 2005
“From his first recititative, now there arose a new King, tenor Robert Macfarlane made an indelible impression and maintained, even improved upon his game through three more.”(Israel in Egypt)
Elizabeth Silsbury, The Advertiser, 18th October 2005
I like the recordings Robbie. By the way have you heard Peter Pears singing Britten's arrangement of Little Miss Muffet? Well it's actually Dudley Moore but it's hilarious: http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=Fi2Ifu4G6xA
depends which one, the duet is Emma and I from the recital we gave (5MBs rec), Das Wandern is from a Kapelle gig and the other two are from the recital with Emma. Hay it was good to talk to you in Rundal Mall, i can always have an insightfully conversation with you!
All the best and hope to see you again soon! Like the myspace page too by the way
You've got a fantastic voice. My friends who go to the con told me about you. One day i'll be at the con - can't wait! Please give your opinion on my music.
oh gosh wow im your biggest fan you're like the best ever. and i have a vague recollection that maybe once you signed my stomach? yeah i didnt wash it for like...two years.
