James Cleverton
Artist Reviews
"Gusmano combines a civilised exterior with a vicious streak and an obsessive jealousy when it comes to Alizara. James Cleverton ably conveyed this, moving his first aria from platitude about peace to obession with Alzira, and turning the screw on Kate Ladner's Alzira in their Act Two duet. Cleverton has developed into a fine Verdi baritone, singing with a shapely sense of well filled line, combining power and flexibility with fearlessness when it comes to the top. Whilst Gusmano's death-bed conversion is a little difficult to make convincing, there is no doubt at all of the beauty with which Cleverton sang the aria, convincing us with sheer expressive technique. I certainly hope to hear James Cleverton in further Verdi roles."
"The outstanding performances come from Cleverton and Yun. The latter has an easy ring at the top of his voice and a restless dramatic energy. Cleverton, handsome-sounding and wonderfully subtle, really convinces both as the stiff-backed dictator of the opening scenes and the man of conscience at the close."
"James Cleverton was a splendid Gusmano, proud and lyrical in his opening “Eterna la memoria”, martial in its cabaletta and dramatically arresting throughout. The duet with Zamoro, leading to trio, quartet, sextet and the impressive chorus that brought the first act to an exciting climax was one of the highlights of the evening."
"Arac stands out for his spoof Handel song, magnificently delivered by James Cleverton."
"James Cleverton was watchable and sonorous as the theatre’s writer-in-residence Bussy."
"James Cleverton is outstanding as the insidious pimp Kyoto"
"James Cleverton is all too convincing as the odious pimp Kyoto"
"James Cleverton sings strongly as Kyoto, the power broker of the red light district."
"James Cleverton’s high-lying baritone never gets lost in the thick orchestration and he easily dominated the big scene in which he displays poor Iris to the Yoshiwara street. I enjoyed the careful calibration of his acting as the character initially appears an almost jolly panderer and only reveals his black-hearted brutality in stages."
Biography
Described by the Guardian as “Outstanding, handsome sounding and wonderfully subtle”, James Cleverton trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Zürich Opera’s International Opera Studio.
Highly sought after on the concert platform, James regularly performs oratorio and recitals throughout the UK & internationally. Recent engagements include a concert performance of Madam Butterfly with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder, Missa Latina by Roberto Sierra at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid and Handel’s Messiah with the Royal Choral Society & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Other notable engagements include Brahms Requiem with the CBSO at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and Fauré Requiem at the Cadogan Hall and Carmina Burana at the Royal Albert Hall with the RPO.
He has performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, the English Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. James also appears regularly as a soloist at the Royal Albert Hall in the Raymond Gubbay “Classical Spectacular” concerts and was recently the baritone soloist for Welsh National Opera’s “Opera Favourites” tour.
Operatic highlights include principal roles at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Salzburger Festspiele, Zürich Opera, ENO, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, WNO, Scottish Opera and Opera North working with eminent conductors including Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Donald Runnicles, Jakub Hrůša and Karen Kamensek.
Recent performances include Starek Jenufa, Mathieu Andrea Chenier, Johann Werther Alberich Das Rheingold and The Protector Written on Skin (Benjamin) for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Marco Gianni Schicchi for Scottish Opera and WNO, Baron Douphol La Traviata for WNO, Opera North and the Royal Opera House, Gusmano in Verdi’s Alzira at the Buxton International Festival, Aristaeus The Man The Mask of Orpheus (Birtwistle), Kallenbach Satyagraha and Horemhab Akhnaten for ENO, Kyoto in Iris (Mascagni) for Opera Holland Park, Frank Die Fledermaus for Welsh National Opera, Papageno The Magic Flute for Scottish Opera, Astolfo Alcina for Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
Other notable roles include Conte Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Don Giovanni and Danilo in Leharʼs The Merry Widow at the Dublin National Concert Hall for Lyric Opera Ireland, Marcello La Bohème and Sharpless Madam Butterfly both at the Royal Albert Hall. Robert J Oppenheimer Dr Atomic for ENO.
James’s repertoire also extends to 21st Century music, working with composers including Sir George Benjamin, Thomas Ades, Errolyn Wallen and Iain Bell, collaborating in recent world premieres for ENO, the Barber Institute and the Birmingham Contemporary Opera Group.
Future plans include singing the role of Tommy Crawshaw in the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage’s The Railway Children at Glyndebourne and at the Royal Festival Hall.
May 2025
For Oratorio and Concert Repertoire please scroll down:
| Composer | Work |
| Bach J. S. | B Minor Mass |
| Christmas Oratorio | |
| John Passion | |
| Matthew Passion | |
| Beethoven | Missa Solemnis |
| Symphony No 9 | |
| Berio | Cries of London |
| Brahms | Liebeslieder Waltzes |
| Requiem | |
| Bruckner | Te Deum |
| Cherubini | Grand Mass |
| Durufle | Requiem |
| Dvorak | Stabat Mater |
| Te Deum | |
| Elgar | Dream of Gerontius |
| Faure | Requiem |
| Goodall | Eternal Light |
| Gounod | Messe Solenelle |
| Handel | Acis & Galatea |
| Alexander’s Feast | |
| Belshazaar’s Feast | |
| Israel in Egypt | |
| Judas Maccabeus | |
| Messiah | |
| Samson | |
| Haydn | Creation |
| Creation Mass | |
| Harmoniemesse | |
| Seasons | |
| Theresienmesse | |
| Mahler | Kindertotenlieder |
| Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen | |
| Mendelssohn | Elijah |
| Erste Walpurgisnacht | |
| Paulus | |
| Mozart | Coronation Mass |
| Mass in C Minor | |
| Requiem | |
| Solemn Vespers | |
| Orff | Carmina Burana |
| Puccini | Messe di Gloria |
| Rossini | Petite Messe Solenelle |
| Stabat Mater | |
| Schubert | Mass in G |
| Sierra | Missa Latina |
| Stainer | Crucifixion |
| Stanford | Songs of the Fleet |
| Songs of the Sea | |
| Tippet | A Child of our Time |
| Vaughan Williams | Dona Nobis Pacem |
| Five Mystical Songs | |
| Sea Symphony | |
| Songs of Travel | |
| Verdi | Requiem |
| Weill | Berliner Requiem |