Bass-Baritone Ashley Riches studied at King’s College, Cambridge and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was later a Jette Parker Young Artist at The Royal Opera House and a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.

On the operatic stage he has sung Figaro and Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Escamillo Carmen, Schaunard La Boheme and the Pirate King The Pirates of Penzance at houses including The Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Garsington, the Grange Festival and Opera Holland Park.

Highlights on the concert platform in the 2021/22 season include Tippet’s Midsummer Marriage with Edward Gardner/London Philharmonic Orchestra, Haydn’s Creation with Laurence Cummings/Academy of Ancient Music, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, a US tour of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Richard Egarr/Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, a European tour of Handel’s Messiah with Paul McCreesh/Basel Chamber Orchestra, Handel’s Solomon with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bach’s St John Passion with Trevor Pinnock/The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam.

In recital, he has collaborated with pianists including Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside, Julius Drake, Joseph Middleton, Anna Tilbrook, James Baillieu, Simon Lepper, Gary Matthewman, and Sholto Kynoch.

Ashley has a fast-growing discography including the BBC Music Magazine 2020 Recording of the Year, Purcell’s King Arthur with Gabrieli, and Wonderful Town with the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle. Most recently he released his debut solo disc for Chandos, Musical Zoo.

When not singing, Ashley enjoys the Times Crossword.

Image (c) Debbie Scanlon. Visit Askonas Holt for further information: askonasholt.com/artists/ashley-riches