Person Open DS/UK/10229 Esswood; Paul (1942-); English countertenor, conductor Esswood Paul 1942- English countertenor, conductor Male

Paul Esswood (born 6 June 1942) is an English countertenor and conductor. He is best known for his performance of Bach cantatas and the operas of Handel and Monteverdi. Along with his countrymen Alfred Deller and James Bowman, he led the revival of countertenor singing in modern times. Paul Esswood was born in West Bridgford, England. He studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1961 to 1964. His professional debut was in a performance of Handel's Messiah for the BBC (1971). Esswood has participated in over 150 recordings, including the alto parts in many Bach cantatas with the Teldec series by conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Gustav Leonhardt. He has recorded Messiah four times, as well as extended works by Henry Purcell, Claudio Monteverdi, Francesco Cavalli, Marc-Antoine Charpentier and others. Among the roles in contemporary works written for Esswood are the title role in Philip Glass's Akhnaten and Death in Penderecki's Paradise Lost. He also sang in the première of Schnittke's Second Symphony. Paul Esswood is the founder of Pro Cantione Antiqua, an all-male a cappella group specializing in early music. He is also establishing a reputation as a conductor of Baroque opera. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHSkeyte 12/13/2013 Rachael.Fragola 3/1/2022 43f85b3e-422e-4b1c-ac5a-ed02286cfbe7