"explosive and exciting... moving and tender" - Tim debuts at the Paris Opera

Tim has begun 2018 with an acclaimed debut at the Opéra National de Paris as Hamor in Handel's Jephtha. In a staging by Claus Guth and conducted by William Christie, Tim stars alongside Ian Bostridge in the title role and Marie-Nicole Lemieux.

"As the lover Hamor, Tim Mead is exemplary, a warm voice and honest singing, both in the quality of the stage performance and vocally."
Le Monde

"Tim Mead's seamless and expressive singing gives relief to the role of Hamor"
Le Figaro

"Tim Mead is radiant... the audience has the striking confirmation of the talent and dramatic presence of counter-tenor Tim Mead. The fullness of his tone and panache of his technique give Hamor (the fiance of Iphis) an aura that cannot be denied. The lovers duet in Act I is a moment of pure happiness!"
La Croix

"the Hamor of countertenor Tim Mead affirms singing of smoothness"
Diapason

"The valiant and virtuosic Hamor of Tim Mead"
Les Echos

"Tim Mead also had a successful debut as Hamor, the warrior in love with Jephtha's daughter. His countertenor resonated, smooth and round, without any acidity or harsh edge, displaying a remarkable uniformity over the entire range. His coloratura in the great aria "Up the dreadful steep ascending" was explosive and exciting, his farewell to Iphis, moving and tender."
Bachtrack

"How lucky we are to hear Tim Mead as Hamor… benefitting from the clarity of his production, the simple bravery of his projection, natural phrasing and obvious scenic presence are ideal"
Anaclase

"The great satisfaction of the evening, beyond the title role, came from the counter-tenor Tim Mead (Hamor), with a beautiful projection and unwavering charisma. Combined with his beautiful crystalline tone, his qualities earned him, rightly, the largest ovation"
Concertonet

"Tim Mead as Hamor has a strong as well as a multi-faceted counter tenor. Effortless and refreshing, he ventures to high pitches, remaining lyrical and empathetic, gains volume and effectively uses the emotional, suffering colours of his voice. In addition, he combines excellent acting skills and a convincing stage presence."
Opera Online (German)

"The counter-tenor reveals his brilliant sound throughout the evening, the fluidity of his singing inspired a theatrically convincing betrayal from start to finish."
Resmusica

"Tim Mead creates a very moving Hamor… very beautiful."
Telerama

"Hamor (counter-tenor Tim Mead) reaps the applause earned by a beautiful vocal line and an invested stage presence… remarkable debuts at the Paris Opera."
La Revue du Spectacle

"On the occasion of the closing concert of the Festival at the Sainte-Chapelle last June, the counter-tenor, Tim Mead, captured all our attention with the beautifully fluid melodic line of his voice. The role of Hamor, written for a castrato, gives him the opportunity to demonstrate all the musicality and  virtuosity in his singing… demonstrating here an intelligence of interpretation."
Opera Online (French)

"very sonorous, with liquid vocalisations, without acidity and very invested theatrically."
Forum Opera

"counter-tenor Tim Mead was a dynamic presence, a warrior with a powerful, flexible voice"
Classical Voice America

"The English countertenor Tim Mead, with his pearly diction, lends his crystalline high voice to Hamor"
Webthea

"Handel's genius, notably for the castrato voices, offers Hamor his most sublime melodic lines. Tim Mead lends them his great seamless sound throughout the vocal range… his final call to Iphis sweeps all before it, suspending time with a limpid voice"
Olyrix

Jephtha continues performances at the Opéra National de Paris until 30 January. Tim's season then continues with Bach tours in the Netherlands with both the Nederlandse Bachvereniging and Holland Baroque before he returns to the Bayerische Staatsoper to reprise his performance of Endimione in La Calisto.

Photo: Monika Rittershaus