Ian PartridgeCBE (born 12 June 1938) is a retired Englishlyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged fromMonteverdi,Bach andHandel, theElizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through toSchoenberg,Weill andBritten, and on to contemporary works. He formed a renowned vocal-piano duo with his sister Jennifer Partridge, with whom he worked for over 50 years. While concentrating mainly on songs,oratorio andlieder, he also recorded opera, and has an extensive discography. He is now a teacher and adjudicator, and conducts master classes in many countries.
Ian Harold Partridge was born in 1938 inWimbledon.[1] He was a chorister atNew College, Oxford 1948–52,[2] and a music scholar atClifton College.[1] He studied at theRoyal College of Music from 1956, studying piano and voice.[3] Leaving after a year because he had engaged in paid employment, which was banned by the RCM,[2] he transferred to theGuildhall School of Music and Drama, where his voice teachers wereNorman Walker and Roy Hickman; he also studied conducting underAylmer Buesst.[3][4] During this period, he appeared in theWest End production ofJohn Osborne'sLuther.[2] From 1958 to 1962 he sang in theWestminster Cathedral Choir, where he worked onplainchant withGeorge Malcolm.[5] He also worked for some time as a piano accompanist.[1] He took further instruction fromBenjamin Britten andPeter Pears.[3][6]
He made his debut in 1958 at Bexhill inHandel'sMessiah,[3] and commenced a solo singing career in 1962.[1] He formed a renowned vocal-piano duo with his sister Jennifer Partridge, with whom he performed over 430 recitals over 52 years.[2] On one occasion in Syria, the hall was sold out, until the audience discovered the performers were notThe Partridge Family.[2][6] In 1967, he recorded forEMI Records Ltd, with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge and the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Willcocks, theCharpentier's"Messe de Minuit" for Christmas H.9
Partridge appeared only once in opera,[2] but atCovent Garden, singing the role of Iopas inBerlioz'sLes Troyens conducted by SirColin Davis, which he later recorded.[1]
In 1973, his recording ofSchubert'sDie schöne Müllerin, which was the first time the cycle had been recorded on a single 33rpm LP record, was voted Best Record byRecord Review.[2] In 1977, he recorded for EMI Records Ltd, with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, conducted byPhilip Ledger, theCharpentier'sTe Deum H.146.
He sang the title role in theThames Television production of Benjamin Britten'sSaint Nicolas, which won the 1977Prix Italia.[1][7] WithPierre Boulez, Partridge recordedSchoenberg'sDie Jakobsleiter,Schumann'sDer Rose Pilgerfahrt andStravinsky'sLe Rossignol.[3]
Ian Partridge has appeared in recital and concert in many countries. He collaborated with the actressPrunella Scales in over 350 performances of "An Evening withQueen Victoria" all over the world, singing songs composed byPrince Albert.[3][7][8] He has performedWalton'sFaçade at theConcertgebouw in Amsterdam with the composer's widow Lady Walton.
He has been President of theIncorporated Society of Musicians.[5] He was appointed a Commander of theOrder of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1992 New Year's Honours for services to music.[1][3][4] He gave his farewell recital on 9 October 2008 at theOxford Lieder Festival.[2]
He has conducted masterclasses on Lieder, English Song and Early Music, at Aldeburgh, Vancouver, Ravinia, Trondheim, Versailles and Helsinki. He continues to lead residential singing weekends, such as his annual course atJackdaws Music Education Trust and has been a professor at theRoyal Academy of Music since 1996.[2][3][8]
On 13 September 2016, Partridge was the focus of theBBC Radio 4 programmeVoices of....
His voice appears on Vol. 5 ofThe Record of Singing.
