Blaze, Robin

He is an English countertenor and teacher who was raised in the village of Shadwell, Yorkshire, to a family where his father works as a professional golfer. He was a chorister from a young age and attended choir school when he was around 10 years old. He was a chorister at Magdalen College, Oxford and was awarded a music scholarship in Uppingham, Rutland, where he also learnt the flute and piano. He later received a scholarship as a post-graduate from the Royal College of Music.

In his professional singing career he has sung as a choral member and soloist under the leadership of many renowned conductors and become acclaimed for his interpretations of works by Bach, Handel and Purcell.

Working with countless ensembles and orchestras, which are too many to mention, he has been heard with The Academy of Ancient Music, the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, the Bach Choir, the BBC Philharmonic, City of London Sinfonia, Collegium Vocal, The English Concert, Fretwork, The Gabrieli Consort, The Halle Orchestra, Israel Chamber Orchestra, The King's Consort, National Symphony Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Oxford Camerata, the Palladian Ensemble, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic , the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, The Sixteen and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Aside from his work with these groups he has also gained acclaim in roles with the English National Opera and at the Royal Opera House, along with other opera companies, and been a regular performer at many international music festivals.

Giving performances on a national and international level, his numerous appearances have seen him managing to include a tour of the United States with the Bach Collegium Japan, appear with the English National Opera's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, sing in productions of Handel's Messiah and Belshazzar with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra respectively and appear at Wigmore Hall where he was joined by the soprano, Carolyn Sampson, for a joint recital.

Since making his debut in the studio in 1981, he has appeared on a wide range of recordings that range from Italian cantatas to lute songs to odes by Purcell. In the field of musical education he is currently a Professor of Vocal Studies at the Royal College of Music.

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