A specialist in contemporary repertoire, the bass Stephen Richardson has given the première performances of a number of important works. He was born in Liverpool and read music at Manchester University before training at the Royal Northern College of Music. Since graduating he has assumed many of the leading bass rôles in the operatic repertoire. Performances with the major British companies include a wide variety of rôles. Abroad he has appeared at the Canadian Opera Company, Netherlands Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Teatro alla Scala, Oper der Stadt Bonn, Istanbul Festival, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Salzburg Festival and Nationale Reisopera. As a concert artist Stephen Richardson is recognised for the broadness of his repertoire, with notable appearances ranging from Birtwistle’s The Second Mrs Kong to Adams’s Nixon in China and Knussen’s Where the Wild Things Are and Higglety Pigglety Pop!, and Kaufmann’s The Maharam de Rothenburg for Radio France. Recordings include Where the Wild Things Are, the title rôle in Alexander Goehr’s Death of Moses, Purcell’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Mary 1694, Purcell’s Now Doth the Glorious Day Appear, Mozart’s Requiem, Stravinsky’s The Flood, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Albert Herring.