Ben Thapa

Genre: Tenor

Artist Reviews

"…...In the season of Remembrance, it was appropriate to include ‘The Spirit of England’, Elgar’s setting of Laurence Binyon’s poems ‘The Fourth of August’, ‘To Women’ and ‘For the Fallen’. This work reflects Elgar’s turbulent feelings about World War One and its glories and its horrors and losses. The wonderful blend of the Choir’s confident command of this work along with Ben Thapa’s gorgeous tenor voice, his strong presence and superb ability to communicate, gave the audience a wonderful insight into this work in all its many moods and emotions."

Gail Bowen - Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir 5 November 2018

"Ben Thapa brought a thrilling, almost operatic expressiveness to the tenor solos"

Rachmaninov Vespers, Huddersfield Choral Society 2017 - Robert Hugill, Planethugill.com

"First out of the blocks was tenor Ben Thapa, whose ‘Nigra Sum’ was particularly impressive, and showed an authentic grasp of the style"

Monteverdi’s Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, Plymouth Philharmonic Choir -, Philip Buttall, Seen and Heard.com

"Ben Thapa handled the role of Gerontius with impeccable control and conviction"

Dream of Gerontius, Burford Choral Society 2012 - Nicola Lisle, Oxford Times

"This was a superb performance with the tenor, Ben Thapa, singing the role of the saint with great power throughout. He immediately engaged with the audience with the opening phrase, “Across the tremendous bridge” ."

Ancient Stories and Modern Voices, Monmouth Choral Society 2018 - Margaret Iggulden

".... She was well matched with the Pelleas of Ben Thapa, who sang in a strong, dark tenor and exemplified the production's physicality, at times careering around the stage."

Pelleas et Melisande - Opera on the Move - May 2019 - Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine July 19

Biography

Ben Thapa started his career as one quarter of the classical crossover quartet G4, runners up on the first series of the X Factor in 2004. After 5 albums and several years of touring the UK and abroad, Ben left the group in 2018. As a soloist, Ben runs a busy diary on opera and concert stages across the UK and abroad. An alumnus of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal College of Music and the Wales International Academy of Voice, Ben has been supported by the Wagner Society, and continues his studies with David Pollard.

Recent successes include the role of Arbace Idomeneo (Buxton Festival), Siegfried The Quest for the Ring (Royal Festival Hall/Opera North), as well as concert performances taking in the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, St Martin-in-the Fields and Birmingham Symphony Hall. Ben has performed several recitals at Leeds Town Hall, including premiering Simon Lindley’s Five Hymns to the Virgin. Recordings include Mat of the Mint The Beggar’s Opera, (Royal Opera, Chandos).

In 2012, Ben performed the role of the President in the UK premiere of Stockhausen’s Mittwoch aus Licht for Birmingham Opera Company, repeated in 2013 at the BBC Proms. Further operatic roles include Tamino Die Zauberflöte and Florestan Fidelio for Garsington Opera Emerging Artists, Vanya Kudrjas Katya Kabanova for Scottish Opera, Tito La Clemenza di Tito at the Teatru Manoel, Malta, Kuzka Kovanschina for Birmingham Opera Company, Melot Tristan und Isolde for Longborough Festival Opera.  In 2020, Ben made his main stage debut at English National Opera as part of their Carmen education project, and created the roles of Dr Anton and Salieri The Paradis Files for Graeae Theatre Company, which toured the UK in 2022. Ben also performed the role of Conan in the new opera Morrigan, performed at the Cork Opera House.

Ben’s concert repertory is incredibly varied, ranging from Monteverdi Vespers, the Bach Passions and nearly all of the mainstream Handel repertory, through to the dramatic Romantic repertory, including Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Verdi, Puccini and Elgar.  Ben was a featured artist with the Really Big Chorus in 2010-11, and at the Royal Albert Hall, was their soloist for Handel Messiah, Haydn Creation and Mozart Requiem. Further concert highlights include a Monteverdi Vespers tour with the Monteverdi Choir, Matthew Passion (arias) for Ex Cathedra, Handel Messiah with the CBSO, Beethoven 9 at St John’s Smith Square, performances with the Manchester Camerata including Messiah, Britten St. Nicholas, and Beethoven Missa Solemnis, and three invites to give recitals at Leeds Town Hall. Other repertory performed varies from the Bach Passions, the title roles in Handel’s Jephtha and Samson, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Verdi Requiem, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, and Tippett A Child of Our Time.

Future and current plans include Mozart Requiem and Haydn Nelson Mass at Leeds Town Hall, the role of Branwell in Keynote Opera’s new opera Brönte, the Evangelist in Armonico Consort’s concerts of Bach St. Matthew Passion, as well as performances of Aeneas Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) and Monteverdi Vespers with the same ensemble, and Siegmund Die Walküre in concert at St. John’s, Smith Square.

 

 

www.benthapa.com

Photo credit: Robert Workman

For Oratorio and Concert Repertoire please scroll down:

Composer Work
Bach J.S. J.S. Christmas Oratorio (Evangelist/arias)
Magnificat
St John Passion (Evangelist/arias)
St Matthew Passion (Evangelist/arias)
Various cantatas
Beethoven Mass in C
9th Symphony
Britten Serenade for Tenor, horn and strings
St Nicholas
War Requiem
Bruckner Mass in E flat
Carissimi  Jepthe
Coleridge-Taylor Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
Elgar A Great and Glorious Victory
The Dream of Gerontius
The Kingdom
Spirit of England
Finzi Ode to Saint Cecilia
Handel  Jephtha
Messiah
Samson
Saul (Jonathan)
Haydn Creation
Mendelssohn Die Erste Walpurgisnacht
Elijah
Lobesgesang
Monteverdi Vespers 1610
Mozart Mass in C
Requiem
Masses etc
Puccini Messe di Gloria
Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle
Schutz Christmas Story
Stravinsky Oedipus Rex
Tchaikovsky The Bells
Verdi Requiem
Artist: Ben Thapa
Label: Ann Ferrier Artists
Genre: Tenor