Joshua Mills

Joshua Mills

Key Facts

Biography

Born in Neath, South Wales, Joshua is recognised as one of the country’s most promising young tenors. Having studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Joshua was a Jerwood Young Artist with Glyndebourne Opera, and between 2015 -17 was a member of the Opera Studio at the Bayersiche Staatsoper, Munich.

With a particular passion and flare for Mozart repertoire, this season Joshua will make his debut in the role of Don Ottavio Don Giovanni at the Staattheater Klagenfurt. His appreciation of this repertoire is illustrated by the prizes awarded at Garsington Opera (Tamino Die Zauberflöte) and Glyndebourne (cover Belfiore La Finta Giardiniera) respectfully, as well as winning second prize at the National Mozart Singing Competition. Further Mozart credits include cover Tamino at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Requiem at the Royal Festival Hall, and cover Belmonte Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Garsington Opera).

During Joshua’s tenure at the Staatsoper, he had the opportunity to explore contemporary works, and debuted roles in two world premieres: Hohe Schattern in Mauerschau by Hauke Jasper Berheide, and Henry ‘Birdie’ Bowers in the world premiere of Miroslav Srnka’s South Pole. Further roles in Munich have included new productions of Don Gaspard La Favorite, Mr Upfold Albert Herring, Nerèo Mefistofele, Nika Magadoff The Consul and Berra in a children’s opera Kannst du Pfeifen Johanna.

Further operatic roles include Gastone La Traviata, (Glyndebourne & Bayerische Staatsoper), an opera highlights tour with Scottish Opera, and Hotel Porter Death in Venice (Garsington Opera).

Joshua is no stranger to the competition platform, and has won first prize in numerous international competitions such as; the Sacred Aria Prize at the National Mozart Competition, the Dunraven, MOCSA and London Young Welsh Singer of the Year Competitions, the Towyn Roberts and Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod, and the Glass Sellers Prize at the Guildhall Gold Medal.

In concert, Joshua has appeared at the Wigmore Hall, Künstlerhaus & Nymphenburg Palace, and the North American Festival of Wales in Minneapolis. He has sung Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with a number of British chamber orchestras, including at LSO St Lukes, led by violinist Candida Thompson, as well as understudying Ian Bostridge with Sir Antonio Pappano and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome. Most recently, he appeared at the Last Night of the BBC Proms in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music at the Royal Albert Hall.

Recent concert highlights include returning to his native Wales for a ‘St David’s Celebration’ with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Bayerische Staatsorchester; St John Passion with the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra in Finland; Messiah with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus; and ‘Italienische  Sommernacht’, an evening of arias and duets with the Munich Symphony Orchestra.

This season Joshua joins Stadttheater Klagenfurt as a member of the opera ensemble where he will sing his first Don Ottavio Don Giovanni.  Other roles include Zimoviy Borisovich Ismailow in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Schmidt Werther, and Gastone La Traviata. At the end of the season Joshua returns to Munich as a guest to sing Nerèo Mefistofele, Jeppo Liverotto in Lucrezia Borgia, and Junger Mann in Nikolaus Brass’ Die Vorübergehenden.

 “There are some very fine performances, especially from Joshua Owen Mills as the Duke who engineers the whole plot”. The Guardian

Musicians’ Company Award: David Goldman Award 2014

Page Updated: May 2018

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