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Born in Barcelona, award-winning countertenor/conductor Ricard Bordas graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London and in 1999 was appointmented an Associate by the Royal Academy. At RAM, he studied voice with Charles Brett and Paul Esswood.
As one of the leading countertenors of his generation, Ricard Bordas has performed in fourteen countries in concert and opera with many distinguished conductors among them Riccardo Muti, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, René Jacobs, Harry Christophers, Christoph Rousset, Christopher Hogwood, and Philippe Herreveghe. He has appeared in leading roles at La Scala di Milano, The Netherlands Opera, Opera de Lausanne, the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Auditorio Nacional of Spain, and at prestigious international music festivals such as The Proms in London, Innsbruck, Dresden, Herne, Halle, Schwetzingen, Beaune, Toulon, Amsterdam, Utrecht, the London Händel Festival, Barcelona, Boston Early Music, Wratislavia, the Cervantino in Mexico, and Granada.
Mr. Bordas has sung many leading roles including Mitridate in Scarlatti's Il Mitridate Eupatore, Feraspe in Cesti's L'Argia, Nutrice I Famigliari in L'Icoronazione di Poppea, and Valentiniano in Händle's Ezio with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. He has also sung Händel's Siroe in Siroe Rè di Persia, Polinesso in Ariodante and Ottone in Agrippina, and Achill in the contemporary opera Achill unter den Mädchen. Most recently he performed and recorded Lully's Psyché with Stephe Stubbs and Paul O'Dette and the Boston Early Music Festival. Mr. Bordas has worked with many illustrious stage directors such as Jonathan Miller, Pierre Audi, Pet Helman, Gilbert Blin, and Jean-Louis Martinotti.
He has appeared as principal artist with The Academy of Ancient Music, the Amaryllis Consort with Charles Brett, Al Ayre Español with Eduardo López Banzo, Elyma with Gabriel Garrido, Orphénica Lyra with José Miguel Moreno, The English Bach Consort with Jean Claude Malgoire, and The Musicke Companye.
In recordings, Mr. Bordas can be heard on the Verany, Discantus and DHM labels as well as on numerous radio and television broadcasts in the US, Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Sweden and Mexico.
Mr. Bordas has taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Trinity College of Music in London, the Barcelona Conservatory, the College of Charleston and Charleston Southern University and recently at the International Baroque Institute at Longy.
Siroe (Siroe-Händel): |
"There was a star in my show, the young Spanish Counter-tenor Ricard Bordas… master of expressive delivery, of words and speeds in recitative, of the joins or new attacks that bring phrases to life… he moved us to intent, rapt listening." |
Andrew Porter - The Observer (UK) in Andrew Porter's review of the year. |
"Ricard Bordas cut an impressively dignified figure and showed a well-focused technique." |
Tom Sutcliffe - The Guardian (UK) |
"…outshone by the outstanding Ricard Bordas. He is one of the finest counter-tenors I have heard for some time." |
Stephen Petit - The Times (UK) |
"Ricard Bordas' burnished counter-tenor is a thrilling instrument, strong and even across the range, which he deploys with an innate musicality… profoundly moving." |
David Blewitt - The Stage (UK) |
Ottone (Agrippina - Händel): |
"Otto was sang in florid countertenor by Ricard Bordas" |
Noël Goodwin - opera magazine (UK) |
"Ricard Bordas, cut an impressively dignified figure" |
Tom Sutcliffe - The Guardian (UK) |
Bach Arias: |
"Bach's genius…was movingly delineated in the arias for counter-tenor (Ricard Bordas)" |
Geaffrey Norris, Daily Telegraph (UK) |
Mitridate (Il Mitridate Eupatore - A. Scarlatti): |
"Und in der titelrolle ist Ricard Bordas aus Barcelona ein Kontratenor, der beweist, daß Spanien auch in dieser Seitenlinie der Tenöre heute absolut internationales Format hat." ["The title role is sung by Ricard Bordas from Barcelona, a Countertenor who proves that Spain has an absolutely international reputation even in this offshoot of tenor voice."] |
Horst Koegler, Stuttgarter Zeitung (Germany) |
Achill (Achill unter den Mädchen - Schultz): |
"Ricard Bordas macht das in Kassel mit Bravour" ["Here in the city of Kassel, Ricard Bordas performs this role with Bravura."] |
Michael Schäfer, Göttinger Tageblatt (Germany) |
Feraspe (L'Argia - Cesti): |
"Feraspe (…gesungen mit edlem Countertenor von Ricard Bordas)" ["Feraspe (…was sung with nobility by Countertenor Ricard Bordas)"] |
Reiner Lepuschitz - Tiroler Tageszeitung (Austria) |
Messiah: |
"On saluera particulièrment la performance du contreténor Ricard Bordas pour sa sublime interpretation de l'aria 'He was despised…'" ["In particular one must laud the performance for countertenor Ricard Bordas's sublime interpretation of the aria 'He was despised…'"] |
Maurice Sadoul - Sar Matin (France) |
Concert - Chamber Music - singing/conducting Camerata Hispánica: |
"…there is no doubt of this group's lively and polished approach." |
Tess Knighton - The Times (UK) |
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Mr. Bordas as Feraspe in Cesti's L'Argia |
In Recital | Early Music Series | Piccolo Spoleto | Summer 2008 |
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Mr. Bordas as Achill in Schultz's Achill unter den Madchen |
| Monteverdi | L'Incoronazione di Poppea | I Famigliari & Arnalta | 1 |
| Ottone | 3 | |
| Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria | 3 | |
| Cesti | L'Argia | Feraspe | 1 |
| A. Scarlatti | Il Mitridate Eupatore | Mitridate | 1 |
| Händel | Siroe | Siroe | 1 |
Ariodante | Polinesso | 1 | |
Agrippina | Ottone | 1 | |
Ezio | Valentiniano | 1 | |
Giulio Cesare | Cesare | 3 | |
| Ptolomeo | 3 | |
Rinaldo | Eustazio | 3 | |
| Lully | Psyché | Bacchus & Homme affligé | 1 |
| Purcell | Dido and Aeneas | Spirit | 1 |
| Cavalli | La Calisto | Endimione | 3 |
| Gluck | Orfeo ed Euridice | Orfeo | 3 |
| Mozart | Mitridate, Re di Ponto | Farnace | 3 |
Ascanio in Alba | Ascanio | 3 | |
| Britten | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Oberon | 3 |
| Schultz | Achill unter den Mädchen | Achill | 1 |
1 | performed |
2 | completely prepared |
3 | in preparation or future role |
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Mr. Bordas as Siroe in Händel's Siroe |
Monteverdi | Vespers |
Purcell | Hail! Bright Cecilia |
| Welcome to all the Pleasures |
| The Fairy Queen |
| Dioclesian |
Pergolesi | Stabat Mater |
| Vespers |
Vivaldi | Gloria |
| Magnificat |
| Stabat Mater |
Buxtehude | Membra Jesu Nostri |
| Jubilate Deo |
Bach | St. John Passion |
| Magnificat |
| Mass in B minor |
| Cantata 10 |
| Cantata 11 |
| Cantata 50 |
| Cantata 54 |
| Cantata 78 |
| Cantata 81 |
| Cantata 177 |
Händel | Messiah |
| Semele |
| Israel in Egypt |
| Alexander´s Feast |
| Dixit Dominus |
| Jeptha |
| Solomon |
Astorga | Stabat Mater |
Haydn | Lord Nelson Mass |
Mozart | Requiem |
Orff | Carmina Burana |
25 pieces for alto solo | |
Italian Cantatas | |
Händel | La Solitudine |
| Clori, degli occhi miei |
A. Scarlatti | Fermate omai fermate |
Albinoni | Dall'arco d'un bel ciglio |
Marcello | L'Usignolo |
Monteclair | Il dispetto in amore |
Caldara | Soffri mio caro Alcino |
Legrenzi | Vuol ch'io taccia |
Spanish | |
Subias | Al son que dos clarines |
Literes | Ay de aquel que desprecia from Acis y Galatea |
Unknown | Vuelve barquilla |
French | |
Monteclair | Le Triomphe de l'Amour |
Lambert | Ombre de mon amant |
Latin | |
Monteverdi | Ego flos campi |
Buxtehude | Jubilate Deo |
Grandi | O quam tu pulchra es |
German | |
Telemann | Jungendlust |
| Die Schlechte Mahlzeit |
| Lob des weins |
English | |
Purcell | If music be the food of love |
| Strike the viol |
| Thrice happy lovers |
| 'Tis nature's voice |
| O solitude |
| Music for a while |
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25 pieces for alto & soprano | |
Italian | |
Luzzaschi | Cor mio |
da Gagliano | Cantai un tempo |
Monteverdi | Pur ti miro from L'Incoronazione |
Steffani | Inquieto mio cor |
Händel | Langue, geme, sospira |
| Fronda leggiera |
| Addio from Teseo |
| Tanti strali al sen mi scocchi |
Bononcini | Luci barbare spietate |
Spanish | |
Marin | No se yo como es |
Cabanillas | El galan que ronda las calles |
Iribarren | A Belén caminad pastrocillos |
de la Mota | Quediditos airecillos |
French | |
Richard | Cloris attends un peu |
Latin | |
Grandi | O intemerata |
Cavalli | O bone Jesu |
D. Scarlatti | Salve Regina |
German | |
Schütz | Wohl dem, der nicht wandelt im Rat |
Bach | Wir eilen mit schwachen from Cantata 78 |
English | |
Blow | Ah Heav'n what is't I hear |
Purcell | In vain the amorous flute |
| Oh the sweet delights of love |
| No, resistance is but vain |
| Now the maids and the men |
| My dearest, my fairest |
Ave Dei genitrix.mp3
