A LIFE IN BRIEF
Early years: Born in 1979 in York, Iestyn Davies sang as a treble in the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge. He returned to the choir as a countertenor choral scholar when studying as an undergraduate.
Big break: Following studies at the
Royal Academy of Music, he made his operatic debut in 2005, singing Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea in Zurich. Roles at opera houses including Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera House and English National Opera (such as Armindo in Handel’s Partenope, above) followed.
A man of honour: In 2010, Davies was named Young Artist of the Year at the
Royal Philharmonic Society Awards; he was recently awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours.