Written on Skin "flawless" on European tour

Tim has recently returned from a major European tour of George Benjamin's 'Written on Skin' under the baton of the composer in semi-staged performances. The opera has already been hailed a 'modern classic' and Tim has been increasingly identified with the crucial role of the Boy, having previously enjoyed success in the role in New York, Toulouse and Lisbon.

Critics have been quick to praise this recent set of performances, earning many five-star reviews and acclaim at every stop of the tour.

"Tim Mead captured the Boy’s androgynous sexuality with astonishing beauty"
The Guardian, March 2016

"Eroticism oozed from Tim Mead’s luscious-toned Boy"
Financial Times, March 2016

"The central trio of Purves, Hannigan and Tim Mead as The Boy are all but unimprovable. Mead makes a chilly seducer, magnetic but horribly impassive. It’s a physical performance that’s the twin of his vocal delivery, which brings both Brittenish purity and Baroque power to bear on music that’s tainted even as it is exquisite. His duets with Hannigan are indecently sensual, sparking harmonics that ripple back through the orchestra."
The Arts Desk, March 2016

"Tim Mead, the main novelty of the cast, is already one of the great countertenors of all time, and one cannot imagine a Boy sung better than his."
El Pais, March 2016

“… the countertenor Tim Mead (The Boy and First Angel) also dazzled with a voice of delicate nuances"
El Pais, March 2016

"Tim Mead, who at last exhibited his exquisite countertenor voice in Barcelona"
La Vanguardia, March 2016

"countertenor Tim Mead... a great discovery… When the result is like that offered by Purves as the Protector and Mead as the boy, the beauty of this work shines to its full potential…. Mead was revealed as an exceptional singer, absolutely equipped for the genre, who portrayed his character with incontestable aplomb. The versatility of his vocal instrument was certainly decisive for the excellent overall result."
Platea, March 2016

"the magnificent countertenor, Tim Mead, with beautiful voice and interpretive line"
El Mundo, March 2016

"…when the voice of Tim Mead combines with the wonderful soprano Barbara Hannigan, the emotional centre of the opera is reached."
Der Westen, March 2016

"Tim Mead’s honeyed countertenor beguiled as The Boy/Angel, caressing the vocal line gorgeously. The erotic encounter between Boy and Agnès – Mead and Hannigan both flame-haired – had incendiary danger."
Bachtrack, March 2016

"The Boy, her liberator and nemesis – like the serpent in the Garden of Eden – was sung with a discomfiting, entirely appropriate blend of detachment and sensuality by Tim Mead, whose countertenor is impressively even and full."
Classical Source, March 2016

"the dangerous allure of Tim Mead’s counter-tenor"
Seen and Heard International, March 2016

PHOTO: PASCAL AMOS REST