Benedict Hymas will be joining The King's Singers from September 2014, taking over from Paul Phoenix who has been with the group for almost 17 years. Phoenix announced his retirement from the group in January; auditions for his successor began in April.
Hymas's first performance with the group will be a charity concert on Thursday, Sept. 25, in the Parish Church of St. Dunstan's, Mayfield, England, before touring across Europe and the United States. Prior to Christmas, Hymas will find himself performing in several of the world's most beautiful venues, including Dresden Frauenkirche, Washington National Cathedral and the Budapest Palace of Arts.
Born in 1985, Hymas graduated from King's College, London, in 2008, with a degree in music. Since graduating, he has pursued a busy career as a tenor and haute-contre, working with the Gabrieli Consort, The Tallis Scholars, Polyphony and Tenebrae. In addition to this, he has been a member of 12-voice ensemble Stile Antico, recording seven albums, one of which won a Gramophone Award in 2012. Alongside his ensemble work, Hymas has also appeared as a soloist for conductors Eric Whitacre, Paul McCreesh and Stephen Layton.
"I'm thrilled to be joining this fantastic group, which I've always admired," Hymas says. "I'm about to receive a huge amount of music to learn for the first concerts but I can't wait to get started!"
In response to the appointment, The King's Singers released this statement:
"We're delighted to be welcoming Benedict to the lineup from September. He has a truly beautiful voice, and has impressed us throughout the audition process with his thorough preparation and his thoughtful approach to our wide repertoire. We look forward to sharing the stage with him, and to revealing our new lineup as we start our 2014-15 season."
Classical MPR's Alison Young interviewed Paul Phoenix in 2010; you can find that interview archived here.
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