Tom Lilburn

Tom Lilburn is a 29-year-old  English countertenor who completed his Master of Performance course at the Royal College of Music in 2022, where he was an Ian Evans Lombe scholar.  He continues his studies with Sally Burgess. In his first year at RCM Tom sang Unulfo in Handel’s Rodelinda, the summer term opera. In Opera Scenes he sang roles as Refugee in Dove’s Flight and again in the RCM’s summer opera, Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Didymus in Handel’s Theodora and Boy/Angel in Benjamin’s Written on Skin. He was coached by Bryan Evans and Nancy Cooley whilst at the Royal College.

Tom is also a Lay Clerk at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and in April 2021 he was one of the vocal quartet singing at the funeral of The Duke of Edinburgh.  He has also sung at significant events including the late Queen’s committal service and the weddings of Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie.

In opera he has performed with Cambridge University Opera Society he sang Athamas in Handel’s Semele and Hamor in Jephtha.  In 2022 he covered Ottone and Narciso in Handel’s Agrippina for English Touring Opera and in the forthcoming season, Tom returns to ETO to cover Ottone and Amore in Monteverdi’s Poppea.

An experienced oratorio performer, recent performances include Handel’s Messiah and Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, Bach’s St. John Passion, Mass in B Minor and Magnificat, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Carissimi’s Jepthe and Purcell’s Yorkshire Feast Song.  In December 2022, Tom made his debut with Coventry Cathedral Chorus for Music Director, Paul Leddington Wright’s final concert with the choir in Messiah where he jumped in with hours to spare. Forthcoming engagements include a Messiah for Worcester Cathedral under Music Director Samuel Hudson and Ampleforth Abbey and his debut with the Really Big Chorus in their Messiah from Scratch in the Royal Albert Hall.

Tom has also worked with esteemed consorts including Tenebrae, The Sixteen, The Binchois Consort and ORA as well as being a member of the Windsor based consort, The Queen’s Six .

Prior to his Masters at the RCM Tom graduated in 2016 in Natural Sciences from St John’s College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar.

Tom’s studies at the Royal College were generously supported by The Charlotte Fraser Foundation, The Royal Albert Institute, The Choir Association of St. John’s College, Cambridge, The Aylesford Family Charitable Trust and Marc Feigen. Tom is also supported by The Josephine Baker Trust.

https://www.tomlilburn-countertenor.co.uk/

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