Home | Browse | Choirs | Trebles | Singers | Films | Books | New Releases | Events | Search | Links | Contact BCSD | Sign In 9 BROWSE   Africa | W. Europe | E. Europe | Middle East | North America | Oceania | Scandinavia | South America | SE Asia | UK | Add an Artist   May Birthdays        James Rainbird James Rainbird was born in Rustington, West Sussex, in May 1975 and at the time of this recording was educated at King's House School, Richmond, Surrey. As a member of the King's House School Choir he has been a featured soloist on tour in France in 1984 with concerts in Fontainbleu, Larchant Cathedral and Notre Dame, Paris; and in 1985 on tour in New York State. London engagements with the choir included venues such as The Royal Festival Hall, The Barbican, the Grosvenor House Hotel, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Among the recording credits with the Choir included backing Tina Turner for the song "We don't need another hero" from the film "Max Max Beyond Thunderdome." In January 1986 James understudied Aled Jones on three occasions for "The Snowman" and in February sang "Walking in the Air" under Howard Blake's baton -- this successful concert for Raymond Gubbey Concerts was repeated in April. James recorded two scores for Nigel Hess -- the first being "Winter's Tale" for the Royal Shakesspeare Company at Stratford and after this for a play starring Helen Mirren. In December 1986, James was a guest soloist for BBC Radio 2 "Friday Night is Music Night: with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black and also for a Gala Night of 100 Stars from the London Paladium -- broadcast on LWT on Boxing Day. James' main achievement during December 1986 was an invitation from The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to study the role of Amahl in Menotti's opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors." The opera directed by the composer was presented by The Royal Opera House during December in honour of Menotti's 75th birthday. It was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and later James recorded the rold for TER Records. He has recorded the solo vocal music for "Empire of the Sun," a film by Steven Spielberg, and performed in the Volte-Face production of Benjamin Britten's Church Parables in the Camden Festival. He then recorded "Jonathan's Song" -- the title song for the film "Magic Toyshop" and was invited to perform with the Wren Orchestra conducted by Stanley Myers at the Grosvenor House Hotel for the 1987 International Confederation of the Variety Clubs...and subsequently for the occasion to honour Sir Alec Guinness at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival where he sang in front of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince and Princess of Wales. Since this recording, James worked extensively with Andrew Lloyd Webber, performing regularly at the Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and other enues throughout Europe and the USA. James went on to study as a Music Scolar at Frensham Heights School. Under the expert guidance and training of Edwin Rolles, he continued his musical career as a soloist with many guest performances. Today he continues to sing, living and working in central London as a singer/songwriter. — Sleeve Notes        OUTL4W Formed in May, 2004, OUTL4W is a four piece rock band three of whom are brothers. They are Jack Bentham (10)-guitar, William Bentham (13)-bass, Stuart Newburn (15)-drums, and Robert Bentham (12)-guitar. Their music is a mix of cover and original songs. In 2005 they won a competition to make a hit summer single with their song "Summer of Rock 'n' Roll". OUTL4W has been recording for their first full length release set for July 2006. They are from Lytham St. Annes, England.        Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix Potencée de Toulouse Toulouse, France        Cornwall Festival Boys' Choir The International Male Voice Choral Festival in Cornwall takes place every two years with events centered in the town of Truro. The first such event took place in May 2003, and in 2007, two Cornish festival choirs will be formed specially for the occasion for the first time. A boys choir of 120 singers from various primary schools and a secondary-age youth male chorus will feature in a special "Sing Out" youth male choir project. The choirs will exist for the duration of the International Male Voice Choral Festival in Cornwall.        Stas Mikhalevich  [Станислав Михалевич] Stanislaw (Stas) Mikhalevich was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russia in 1995. When he was seven years old, he began singing with the St. Petersburg Boys Choir under the direction of Wadim Ptscholkin, performing a musical repertoir of western European composers and Russian composers. He is laureate of international and municipal competitions. In summer 2006 he took part in XVI festival Europa Cantat in Mainz, Germany. In July 2007 he recorded a disc.        St. Croix Valley Boy Choir St. Croix Valley Boy Choir, Stillwater, Minnesota USA is a community based boychoir serving boys from eight schools located along the lower St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The boychoir provides music opportunities to both treble voices and changed voices through high school working both as separate choirs and joint SATB ensembles.        Charlie Dalton Charlie Dalton was a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral, London. He has sung many major solos, including the top line of the Allegri Miserere, which is often considered to be the pinnacle of a chorister's career (Good Friday, 2004). He also was a member of Boys Air Choir as a soloist for their In Paradisum album in 2004. Charlie plays the trumpet, and in March 2007 performed in a charity concert for the building of the new Clinical Research Facility at King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill. Charlie ist z.Z. (Mrz 2005) ein älteres Chorister an der Kathedrale Str. Pauls, London. Er hat viele Hauptsoli, einschließlich der oberen Linie des Allegri Miserere gesungen, das häufig betrachtet wird, der Pinnacle einer Karriere der choristers (guter Freitag, 2004) zu sein.   1 May   Helmut Wittek Helmut Wittek joined the Tölzer Knabenchor in the 1980s, becoming a soloist and later a teacher within the choir. In addition to the recordings listed below, he was also featured on Bach: Cantatas & Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) with Concentus Musicus Wien and Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Teldec/Unitel). One of the highlights of his singing career was playing the role of Orlofsky in Johan Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" at Nederlandse Opera under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Helmut left the choir in 1996 and presently works in the sound recording industry.   2 May   Georg Nigl Georg was a soprano soloist in the Wiener Sängerknaben and has become very much at home in the Viennese Classical period and passionate about the interpretation of early and contemporary music. His talent as an actor became apparent during his schooldays and led to early performances at the Vienna Burgtheater. As a baritone Georg has sung Mozartian opera roles in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. Among his most important roles are Papageno, Don Alfonso (with Thomas Hengelbrock 1999 and 2000 at the Sommerfestspielen Baden-Baden) and Don Giovanni (in the production of Tobias Moretti in 2002).   2 May   Richard Birchall Richard Birchall became a chorister at St. George's Chapel in Windsor in 1992 at the age of eight. He was appointed Head Chorister in 1996. During his time at Windsor he sang many solos in services, concerts and broadcasts and performed on several occasions in the presence of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family. Richard left St. George's in 1997, having won both academic and music scholarships to Winchester College. During his time at Cambridge University, Richard gave numerous recitals and performed concertos by Brahms, Haydn, Saint-Saens and Dvorak, and was the winner of the CUMS Concerto Competition. In November 2005 Richard won a Jellinek Award which led to a performance of the Schumann concerto with the Guildford Symphony Orchestra. In March 2006 he gave performances of the Elgar concerto in Cambridge and at St John's, Smith Square, and gave a recital at London's Foundling Museum as part of the New London Orchestra's 'Young Performers' series; he performed the Schumann concerto with the Croydon Symphony Orchestra in November and was awarded a place on the LSO String Scheme for 2006-7. Richard has participated in masterclasses with Philippe Muller of the Paris Conservatoire and Martin Lovett, formerly of the Amadeus Quartet. Future plans include masterclasses with Alexander Rudin, and with Gary Hoffman at the 2007 Manchester International Cello Festival, and a concerto appearance with Sinfonia Tamesa. Richard was the 2005 winner of the prestigious Muriel Taylor Scholarship, and his postgraduate studies have been further supported by the Musicians' Benevolent Fund Music Education and Myra Hess Awards, the Craxton Memorial Trust, the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund and the Countess of Munster Trust. Richard studies with Louise Hopkins at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.   2 May   Allan Bergius The German boy soprano (and later cellist and conductor), Allan (Alan) Bergius, was born to a musician family, and therefore came in contact with music very early. From 1978 to 1980 he studied to play the cello with Heinrich Klug (solo cellist of the Münchner Philharmoniker). In 1980 he became a member and a soprano soloist of the Tölzer Knabenchor. For seven tears (until 1986) he appeared with them under conductors as Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Nikolaus Harnoncourt and made tours to Europe, Israel and the USA. High point of this stage of his career was in 1984, when he sang the solo part in Mahler's Symphony No. 4 with the Wiener Philharmoniker under Leonard Bernstein with concerts in Vienna, Milan and the USA. In 1983 Allan Bergius entered the cello class of Jan Polašek in Munich. In 1985, still as a young person, Allan Bergius created his own chamber orchestra Camerata Juvenalis, which remained together for nine years (up to the end of his school time). According to his own words, he could already acquire his own language for conducting with this orchestra, and they gave concerts in Germany, UK and Denmark. From 1986 to 1996 he took conducting courses with Helmuth Rilling, Richard Schumacher and Milos A. Machek. He finished successfully his cello studies study with the concert exam in 1998 at the Musikhochschule in Köln. -- Bach-Cantatas.com From 1994 to 1998, Allan Bergius studied cello with Frans Helmerson at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln, passing maturity examination and concert exam. He also studied quartet playing with the Alban Berg Quartet in Köln. From April 1998 to 2001 he studied conducting with Professor Michael Luig at the Hochschule für Musik in Köln. In May 1999 Allan Bergius made his debut at the Kölner Philharmonie with the Kölner Kammerorchester, and a short time afterwards he received Promotion Prize with the German University Competition in Weimar. In 1999-2000 he led the orchestra and the choir of the Essen University. In August 2000 he played cello as a soloist at the Deutschen Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. August 2001 he became 2nd Kapellmeister at the Vereinigten Städtischen Bühnen Krefeld and Mönchengladbach. In 2003 Allan Bergius conducted the Niederrheinischen Konzertchor. In 2004 he received Promotion Prize of the country North-Rhine/Westphalia, and Promotion Prize of the "friends" of the Theater Krefeld-Mönchengladbach. From 1993 to 2004 Allan Bergius was promoted by the Deutschen Musikrat: including courses with Max Pommer, Kurt Sanderling, Eiji Oue, Peter Gülke, Klauspeter Seibel, Hans-Dieter Baum, Christian Simonis, Günther Herbig and Hans Drewanz. Orchestra workshop with Ulrich Windfuhr. In April 2000 he was 2nd in Förderstufe, and in June 2003 in 3rd in Förderstufe. Currently he is a conductor in Mönchengladbach at the Opera house there.   3 May   Mark Duff Mark studied music at Dublin Institute of Technology, Conservatory of Music and Drama, where his tutor was Anne Marie O'Sullivan and Robert Alderson. He was awarded a BMus Performance degree in June 2006. Mark currently is on the Post-Graduate course at Royal Northern College of Music, Studying Voice with Barbara Robotham. In 1996 Mark was the boy soprano soloist on R.T.E's 'Faith of our Fathers'. Mark has been successful in many competitions. He has been awarded the William T. Watt cup for Tenor solo and in June 2004 he was a recipient of the Count John Mc Cormack Bursary. He has participated in master classes given by Mark John Ainsley, Ugo Benelli, Julius Drake, Eric von Ibler and Denis O'Neill. At DIT Mark sang Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte), Dr. Caius (Falstaff), Parpignol (La Boheme), Borsa (Rigoletto), Gastone (La Traviata) and Alfredo (Die Fledermaus), Orfeo (Orfeo ed Eurydice) in excerpts annually presented by DIT at the National Concert Hall. Mark sang the role of Don Basilio in Opera Ireland/DIT 'Bite-size' production of 'The Marriage of Figaro' under the direction of Dieter Kagei at the Gaiety Theatre. At RNCM Mark has sang Monsieur Triquet (Eugene Onegin) and excerpts of Jaquino (Fidelio), Lysander (A Midsummer night's dream) and Lurcanio (Ariodante). He has sung as a member of the chorus for Opera Ireland. Previous performances include Tosca, Jenůfa, Orfeo Ed Eurydice (Ireland/Germany), Rigoletto, Die Zauberflöte, La Traviata, Imeneo and La Cenerentola. Professional opera engagements have included Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro for lyric opera, Spiridione in Il Campanello for Anna Livia, Dancairo Carmen, Mananan International Opera Festival. Mark sings regularly in concert and Oratorio. Previously this year Mark participated in Mozart's Requiem conducted by Sir Colin Davis and sang the Tenor solo in Handel's Dixit Dominus for an audience at Lord Cholmondeley stately home. Most recently this year at the Manchester International Music festival Mark was involved in a commissioned stage work by Anri Sala.   3 May   Ibrahim "Ibo" Chouqeir Ibrahim Chouqeir, also known as Ibo, was born in May 1994. When he was ten years old, he won the Danish Melody Grand Prix for Kids in 2004 as the youngest member of the group the group Cool Kids. The winning song "Pigen Er Min" was a smash hit and the MGP album went double platinum. At this young age he managed to tour and performs at major festivals and venues all around Denmark. Ibo is now working in the studio on his solo album "Tilbage igen" which will hit the stores soon.   3 May   Florian Meixner Florian joined the St. Florianer Sängerknaben in 1986 at the age of nine. He sang at St Florian until 1992. Florian is now a tenor with the Vienna Harmonists.   4 May   Danny Sveinson Danny Sveinson is a 12 year old guitarist from Surrey, BC who many believe will become a great guitar legend. He writes and performs all his own songs. Danny and his band was chosen as the closing act of the ten day Telus World Ski and Snowboarding Festival. He is also the youngest performer ever to play The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. In addition, Danny has played such venues as the Apollo Theater and the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. He has also appeared (interviews and performing) on a number of Canadian TV shows.   5 May   Johannes Braun  [Hannes] Born in Burladingen, Germany, Johannes Braun made it to the finals as a soloist on Germany's Star Search in May 2004 at the age of 12. He plays in a band called Kissin Dynamite.   6 May   Vitaly Nikolaev Russian boy singer Vitaly Nikolaev was a soloist of Big Children's Choir in 1970s.   6 May   Chet Allen Born in Chickasha Oklahoma, Chet Allen was, perhaps, best remembered as TV's first Amahl in Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors (1951) (TV), He was a member of Columbus Boychoir (now the American Boychoir) during this period. Chet reprised his role in theatre in April 1952 with the New York City Opera, conducted by Thomas Schippers. He made other appearances over the years, most notably in the film "Meet Me at the Fair" (1953) and as one of Ezio Pinza's sons on his TV series, "Bonino" (1953). When his voice changed, so did his life, for the worse. Like many other former child stars, he drifted from job to job and, in his case, in and out of psychiatric hospitals. When Menotti himself visited him in Columbus, about a year before his death, he found a bitterly unhappy young man for whom life had been a series of disappointments. "No one could have helped him enough," Menotti would later say. In 1984, at the age of 44, Chet Allen killed himself by taking five times the fatal dosage of the prescription anti-depressant he'd been taking.   7 May   Taylor Abrahamse Actor/singer Taylor Abrahamse started out as a model in commercials and eveolved towards acting. At nine he played the role of the younger Jimmy Osmond in the TV movie "Inside the Osmonds".   7 May   Machi Di Di  [Andrew Chou]   9 May   Jonathan Sandilands Jonathan was a chorister at Worcester Cathedral.   9 May   The Westminster Abbey Choir The singing of Services has been at the centre of the life of Westminster Abbey throughout its history and this is now maintained by a highly trained choir of mens and boys voices. 10 May   Thomas Näßl Treble soloist with Der Tölzer Knabenchor. 11 May   Eirian Davies 12 May   Matt Savage  [Matthew Savage] Matt Savage is an incredible young jazz pianist who's been playing since he was 6 years old. He has made appearances on NBC's Today Show, ABC's 20/20 and The View. Matt and his trio have also performed at many venues including the Blue Note in New York City and the New Orleans Jazz Festival. 13 May   Nico  [Nicolo Urbinati Munarriz] Nacido en Madrid - España A Nico le gusta cantar, bailar y todo lo que tenga que ver con utilizar un micrófono. Sus asignaturas favoritas son las matemáticas, la música y la ciencia. Está aprendiendo a tocar la guitarra. Nicolo se llama así gracias al escritor italiano Nicolo Maquiavelo aunque el chico afirma que no le gusta que le llamen así. Su padre es italiano y por eso Nico va a una escuela bilingüe donde está aprendiendo a hablar la lengua de su padre. Su plato favorito es la pizza. Su animal favorito es el oso panda y tiene una mascota, Snoopy, su perro. A Nico su pasión por la música y por la ciencia le llevan a querer combinar dos profesiones, la de cantante y la de astronauta, siempre que existan los marcianos (cómo él se encarga de matizar). Su sueño sería cantar en el estadio más grande del mundo en Canadá. Su singuel en solitarío, " Yo soy así " es un CD con mucha marcha, aunque toca todos los estilos musicales. La música es buena, las letras preciosas y la interpretación del pícolo bambino, es "extraordinaria". Para que nadie pueda olvidarse de nuestro NICO BAMBINO, ahi queda el recuerdo de todo cuanto lleva realizando hasta el momento. En EMule. Todo sobre NICO BAMBINO 2003-2006. Si continua su ruta artística no se olviden de apoyarle asistiendo a sus conciertos, comprando sus discos, espresándoles vuestro cariño. Pero, si no continua, esto será un recuerdo que perpetuirá todo su arte, su dedicación, enorme amor hacia la música. 13 May   Liam Mower My name is Liam Mower and I'm 12 years old. I live in Hull with my mum and dad, and brothers Luke, Lewis and Leighton. My hobbies are dancing, acting, singing and gymnastics. My love for music started when I was a baby. Listening to music always made me want to dance. When I was 8 years old I started my first dance school doing disco, rock and roll and also ballroom and latin. There I became a champion at disco and rock and roll. Two years later at the age of 10, I felt something was missing, I wanted more so I joined gymnastics but 3 months later I left wanting to dance. I was encouraged by my mum's friend to join the Northern Theatre Company where my interests grew for modern and tap, which I loved. A year later my dance teacher Julie, after much persuasion, introduced me to ballet, that's when everything changed. I then successfully auditioned at the Urdang Academy, and later gained a place at the Royal Ballet mid Associates. While dancing at the Northern Theatre Co and the Royal Ballet Associates, ballet became my favourite. Yet again I was encouraged by Julie to audition for Billy Elliot which has opened new doors in acting and singing, there I found inspiration and excitement within training. Whilst auditioning for Billy Elliot I gained a full time place at the Royal Ballet School "White Lodge", where I am at the present moment. My ambition in life I feel has started to get the part of Billy and the chance to perform in the west end is as if all my dreams are coming true. 30th September 2006 was Liam Mower's last performance in Billy Elliot the Musical. 13 May   Little Stevie Wonder  [Stevie Wonder] 13 May   Liam O'Kane Liam was born in London in May 1984 and began singing with the St. Philip's Boys' Choir (also known as Angel Voices and Libera) in Norbury, South London when he was 8. Liam has appeared on several television programs from 1993 to 2001, including Thora on the Straight and Narrow, Blue Peter, Songs of Praise, and GMTV. At the moment, he plays in the band called Jimmy the Squirrel, which continues to have gigs over England. 14 May   Robert Duncan Peel Robert Duncan Peel and John Bonner were the first of four Manchester boy sopranos to make records. Peel's record is one of the earliest to be featured in the series. Duncan Peel was born on May 14th 1914 and educated at Manchester Cathedral School. He entered the choir in 1921 aged seven-and-a-half. Duncan's record Angels ever bright & fair was recorded in the Cathedral with Mr. Wilson at the organ at the same session as John Bonner's first record With verdure clad on 21st September 1927, a few months after Ernest Lough's famous recording of Hear my prayer, made in the Temple Church, London. Columbia was not entirely satisfied with the quality of Peel's record and claimed the wax had not set correctly; it was, therefore, hoped to re-record it six months later. Unfortunately, Duncan's voice broke soon after so it was decided to issue the record as it stood, with an organ solo on the reverse. This was issued in 1928 some months after Bonner's first disc. -- bio and pic from Betterland.boychoirs.org 14 May   Keram Malicki-Sanchez Keram made his acting debut at age seven after landing the lead role in "Oliver!" Entered a private Choir School in Toronto, Canada, at age 11 to study ecclesiastical and classical choral music and graduated in 1993. 14 May   Lars Moen Lars sang with Solvguttene. 17 May   Pavel Horňák Pavel Hornak was a very popular Czech boy singer in the 1980s. Later he became a lawyer and now is judge in Prague. 17 May   Duncan Sweeney Duncan Sweeney was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral Choir from 1974 to 1976. 18 May   Pieter Vis Pieter is now a professional bass-baritone singer. 18 May   Peter Michael Peter Michael was born in Sindelfingen and lives in Renningen, Germany. Very early his teachers noticed that he possessed a very clear and beautiful voice. From age 11, Peter Michael sang in the local boys choir and was discovered one year later by entertainer Tony Marshall when performing at the Cannstatter Volksfest in front of 6000 people. On top of singing, Peter Michael takes piano lessons and he is a gifted painter. In his free time he devotes himself to his pigeons and is a member of the local fishing club. 19 May   Denis Barthel  [Denis H. A. Barthel] Denis became a pupil at Burdett Coates' school, and commenced his career as a chorister at St. Stephen's Church, Westminster, under its organist and choirmaster Dr. William Bunney. When Denis was eleven, he was taken by Dr. Bunney to the Temple Church, Fleet Street for an audition by Dr. George Thalben-Ball. 'The Doctor' was quick to act on Bunney's introduction and Denis became probationer chorister at Temple in November 1927, the same year in which Ernest Lough made his famous recording of O for the Wings of a Dove. Denis became principal soloist and Head Boy in 1932, and recorded some of the most remarkable records ever to come out of Temple. He left the choir in July 1933. --Bio and picture taken from Betterland.boychoirs.org 20 May   Louis-Alexander Désiré Louis-Alexander Désiré started singing when he was seven and began to study classical dance at the age of eight. He joined Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Louis in Paris in 2003 and became a soloist in the choir the following year. Then he was soloist with La Maîtrise de l'Opéra National de Paris and the English Cathedral Choir of Paris under Christopher Wells (formerly of Salisbury Cathedral). In August 2005 he gave a recital in Bury St. Edmunds in memory of the victims of the London bombings. In March 2006 he sang the role of Yniold in Debussy's Pélleas et Mélisande with the Opéra de Rouen and was described by critics as "the best actor in the cast" for his "astonishing stage confidence" and the 'best child Yniold ... ever heard'. In April 2006 he performed as one of three boy soloists in Henri Dutilleux's moving symphonic opera "The Shadows of Time" at Opera Bastille under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen and in the presence of the famous 90 year old composer. Louis-Alexander is fluently bilingual: his mother is English and his father French. He is also an accomplished classical dancer and played the title rôle in Joseph Russillo's Le Passeur especially choreographed for him at the Théatre de la Ville in Paris in May 2005. In early 2006 he danced the forest bird in Robert Wilson's impressive Ring Cycle at the Châtelet in Paris. In summer 2006 he sang first boy in Mozart's Magic Flute in Paris and gave a recital of mainly French art songs for the fringe of the Three Choirs Festival in England. He played Jimmy the Little boy in the version concert of the opera the Elephant Man of Gerald Petitgirard in Salle Pleyel in Paris on February 19, 2008. He is also part of the six-member group Vox Angeli which released its first CD in February 2008. 21 May   Trevor Schofield C.M. Crabtree in "The Gramophone" says of DB5469 that Schofield is not at his best; of his singing on DB5258 he commented "this is the first boy who has shown us the real top notes in which boys revel; also natural ability", but of DB5528 he writes that it is "like a bad dream. This boy sings like a soubrette . . we have reached rock bottom." (Issues of Dec., Feb. & Oct. 1929 respectively.) For contrasting views see other reviews quoted below. 21 May   Master James Phelan  [Jimmy Phelan] Referred to as both "Jimmy" and "James" in the record company catalogues of the time. He was James Percival Phelan, born at 103 Lupus Street, Pimlico, London, on 21 May 1920, who died at Wandsworth (south London) on 15 May 1997. (BJP) 22 May   Panito Iconomou The German bass-baritone, Panajotis N. (Panito) Iconomou, was born in Germany by Greek parents. He became a member of the Tölzer Boy's Choir in 1980. His first solo was in 1982 in Cologne in Britten's Ceremony of Carols. He toured with the choir in Germany, Italy, France, Israel, Poland and Austria until his voice broke in 1986. Panito Iconomou took part in broadcasts with Hermann Prey, Rudolf Schock and Siegfried Jerusalem. Solo engagements include Stravinsky Mass at the Salzburger Festspiele with Hans Graf, Bach St. John (BWV 245) and St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Concentus Musicus Wien at the 1985 Styriarte Graz Bach Festival, also for Austrian television ORF 1. He performed the same program with Peter Schreier and Kurt Moll at the 1985 Stuttgarter Bach Festival, and Schütz' Exequien with Sergiu Celibidache at the inauguration of the Munich Philharmony at the Gasteig 1985. Operatic roles include R. Strauss Feuersnot with Bernd Weikl and Julia Varady in Munich 1982; 3rd Boy Magic Flute at opera houses in Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart; Shepherd Tosca in Frankfurt; Zephyrus, Apollo Apollo et Hyacinthus in Germany, Italy and France with Helmut Müller-Brühl and Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden – also broadcast on German television ZDF; 4th Boy Herold Lohengrin at the Salzburger Festspiele 1984 with Peter Hoffmann and Herbert von Karajan; Carmen at the Salzburger Festspiele 1985 and 2nd Apparition Macbeth with Nicolai Ghiaurov and Piero Cappuccilli at Bavarian State Opera, Munich in 1985. Panajotis rejoined the choir as a bass in 1988 and later joined the National Opera Studio, London in September 1997. 22 May   Sebastian Forbes Sebastian Forbes recorded with Andrew Ryan as trebles (1954, Parlophone) 23 May   Peter Jelosits The Austrian tenor (and former boy soprano), Peter Jelosits, was a member of Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Boys’ Choir), and in the years 1969-1975 their soprano soloist. At this time he already made his first recordings (Bach Cantatas under Nikolaus Harnoncourt). Peter Jelosits received violin and horn instruction, however since 1978 studied singing at the Vienna Music College with Alexander Kolo and with Hilde Rössl-Majdan. To the song and oratorio singing he was introduced by Erik Werba. From 1983 to 1985 Peter Jelosits was member of the Opera Studio of the Vienna State Opera, and since 1985 he was their regular ensemble member. He sang there a set of tenor roles from the lyric as from the character repertoire, such as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, Walther von der Vogelweide in Tannhäuser, Balthasar Zorn in Meistersingern, Theophilus in Palestrina by H. Pfitzner and the Fool (Narren) in Wozzeck by A. Berg. He participated in international festival, including the Schubertiade in Hohenems, the Carinthi Summer, the Vienna Festival Weeks and the Salzburg Festival, in which he appeared in 1987-1988 in Moses und Aron by Schoenberg, in 1988 in a concertant performance of the opera Der Prozess by G. fon Einem, and in 1990 in a church concert. Peter Jelosits had important success as a concert soloist, with appearances in radio and television broadcasts in Austria as on international level. Recordings: Virgin (Wozzeck by A. Berg, also as video), Naxos (Zauberflöte), Philips, Decca (Lohengrin), DGG (Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro), Orfeo (Paride ed Elena by Gluck). -- Bach-cantatas.org 24 May   Edward Phillips Edward Phillips was a chorister with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. He was the treble soloist in Bernstein's Mass (1971) performed at the Barbican Hall, London, 5 June 2005. He is now a music scholar at Eton College and is thriving. 24 May   Billy Gilman Born William Wendell Gilman on May 24, 1988, in Westerly, R.I., he was raised outside Providence in the tree-lined neighborhoods of Hope Valley. And he grew up listening to pure country. "Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Eddy Arnold, all the classics," he says, alluding to the records his grandparents played. It was the emotional singing style of country's classic performers, he says, that hooked him. Billy Gilman first earned a name for himself singing on the Asleep at the Wheel segment of the 2000 George Strait tour. But he burst onto the national music scene a few weeks later with his show-stopping performance at the 2000 Academy of Country Music Awards show, where he earned a standing ovation. "It was a life-altering experience," the then 11-year-old told music legend Dick Clark backstage. When his debut single "One Voice" entered the Billboard chart, the tiny powerhouse edged out Brenda Lee to become the youngest person ever to have a song on the magazine's Country Singles Chart. 25 May   Demis  [Demis Haneveer] Demis became very popular in the Netherlands in the nineties and made numerous TV appearances on Dutch TV. Demis borrowed (covered) the melody of "An Angel" by The Kelly Family for his song "Met Jou". The song "An Angel" was written by the Kelly Family and published in 1990. His singing carreer came to an end when his voice broke. At present Demis lives in Tilburg (the Netherlands) and is a DJ and producer of dance music. All of his current records are entirely instrumental. 26 May   Leandro  [Leandro Moldes] Leandro was born in Spain, but now lives in Germany with his family. Sadly, he seems to have slipped out of the music profession almost unnoticed. At the age of 14 he recorded the video of his most well known track, 'Girl' in Cape Town, South Africa. This video was a great success and has been shown on many mainstream Television channels across the world. Leandro was also invited to do numerous Television interviews in many countries. He has also co-hosted many Television shows, and once worked with another Teen Artist, Jonas Schumann.  Leandro boasts about being able to speak 7 different languages fluently. He attributes this to having parents of different European Countries, as well as having lived in several other countries.    26 May   Conor O'Donnell Conor joined the choir of St. Philip's early in 2005 and has already had the opportunity to shine as a treble soloist with Libera. He first appeared on television in March of that year to accompany Aled Jones on the Today with Des and Mel program in order to promote Aled's tour of the UK. In 2005 Conor was a member of both Libera tours to Asia and recorded the Visions album over the summer. Conor was credited for two solos on the album - Choir Director Robert Prizeman's own composition of "Ave Maria" and an imploring figure of height in the emotive "Recordare", where he teams with fellow Liberan Joe Sanders-Wilde. With a voice suitable for parts in the upper registers, Conor has already proved to be an asset to the ensemble. 28 May   Samuel Dharmawan Samuel begin his career as a singer at 9 years old. After he won "AFI Junior" a Children Singing Contest produced by Indosiar. Until now he has released 2 solo albums. The first Album is "The Prayer" released on 2005 and the second album is "When You Believe" released on 2007. 28 May   Tim Mead Tim Mead was a chorister and choral scholar in the choir of Chelmsford Cathedral before being awarded a choral scholarship to read Music at King's College, Cambridge where he studied with Charles Brett. He was the treble soloist in Chelmsford Cathedral Choir's recorded perfomance of Elgar's "Ave verum corpus". He then went on to win a number of scholarships to the Royal College of Music, London where he studied with Robin Blaze. Recent opera performances include the title role in Giulio Cesare for Glyndebourne Festival Opera conducted by Emmanuelle Haim, Ottone in L'incoronazione di Poppea for the Opéra de Lyon conducted by William Christie, the title role in Siroe for Oper der Zeit (c. Andreas Spering), Trasimede in Admeto for the Opernhaus Halle, David in Saul for Opera North, Orfeo for English National Opera and the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston, Ometh in Golem for Opéra de Rennes and the Angers-Nantes Opéra, the title role in Ezio and Melo in Sosarme for the London Handel Festival and Athamas in Semele for British Youth Opera. Recent concert performances include Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin under Marcus Creed in Hamburg, Idelberto in Lotario and Oronte in Riccardo Primo with the Kammerorchester Basel under Paul Goodwin, Solomon for the Göttingen Handel Festival (c. Nicholas McGegan) and for the Lufthansa Baroque Festival (c. Ivor Bolton), Farnace in Mitridate with the Classical Opera Company, Israel in Egypt for the Karlsruhe Handel Festival, Occasional Oratorio and Come ye sons of art with the King's Consort, Biber Missa Bruxellenis with the Academy of Ancient Music under Paul Goodwin at the BBC Proms, Messiah with the Manchester Camerata under Nicholas Kraemer and Bach St. Matthew Passion (Britten Sinfonia) and St. John Passion (Hanover Band). Tim's recordings include the alto solos in Scarlatti choral works and Purcell Odes with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge under Stephen Cleobury (both for EMI), Oronte in Riccardo Primo (Sony BMG), Solomon (Carus) and a DVD of Trasimede in Admeto (Arthaus Musik). He is also part of the new vocal ensemble The Prince Consort, with whom he has recently given recitals of works by Britten, Schubert and Schumann in the Purcell Room, London. Current/future projects include Ottone in The Coronation of Poppea for English National Opera and the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston (c. Laurence Cummings), the world premiere of The Minotaur by Sir Harrison Birtwistle at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the title role in Orlando for Chicago Opera Theatre (c. Raymond Leppard), Ercole amante for De Nederlandse Opera, Georg Gebel's Johannes-Passion at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and a European tour of a programme of Bach and Handel with Emmanuelle Haim and le Concert d'Astrée. (Biography as of May 2007) 28 May   Bruce Lowden Bruce Lowden was a chorister at St. Simon's, Toronto, and has sung musical theatre and choral music all his life. Still (2006) singing in several church and community organizations in Victoria BC. Dr. Lowden is currently a cataract surgeon and a St Simon's, Toronto, old boy. 28 May   Benjamin Humphrey Worcester Cathedral Chorister appearing as a soloist on albums such as Noel, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis and Silencium. Currently Studying Music and Drama at 'The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School' 29 May   Jorddy  [Jordi Landeta] Jorddy is the younger brother of Imanol. 29 May   Neyzer Constantino  [Plastilinito] Neyzer nació un 29 de Mayo de 1992 en la Cd de Puebla en México. Participo en el Reality Show de Televisa niños llamado Codigo Fama Terecera Edición, Mexico. Logró obtener el segundo lugar. Desde pequeño le ha gustado la muscia, componer es su pasión y actualmente participa en series de television del canal 11, del Ipn. www.plastilinito.co.nr By A.D. 29 May   Noa Johannesson Noa Johannesson from Jönköping, Sweden, is a multi talented youngster who sings yet as a treble at the age of 15 (2007) with beautiful rich tones indicative of a treble in his prime voice. Noa also plays drums and guitar (both Acoustic and Electric). He is extremely talented as well as personable and as such is destined to go a long way. 30 May   Christopher Johns 30 May   Ludwig Obst Ludwig Obst was born in Munich and was a member of the Tölzer Knabenchor from Sept 1998 through Jan 2004. - Sang 'Miles' in Benjamin Britten's "The Turn Of The Screw" in the Komische Oper in Berlin - Sang Bernstein's Chichester Psalms inn Frankfort, Mexico City, New York and Shanghai - also sang Solo-Parts of Schütz, Bach (Motetts), Händel (Messias), Mozart (Zauberflöte, Missa in c, Krönungsmesse, Missa Solemnis,...), Wagner (Tannhäuser), Alexander Knaifel (Alice in Wonderland)... - Concerts in Brussel, Gent, Antwerpen, Salamanca, Santander, Valencia, Rome, Paris, Edinburgh, Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Amsterdam, Budapest, Boston.... Ludwig now is an adult singer and a composer. One of his first pieces was sung by the Tölzer Knabenchor in July 2007. 31 May   John Bonner John Bonner was born in Manchester on May 31st 1912. His great-grandfather had been a bass at the cathedral and John became a chorister there at the age of ten. Even as a small boy at the Municipal school he possessed an outstanding voice and the teachers used to stand him on a chair and let him sing to the class. As a result of Ernest Lough's success there was a search for good voices by the big gramophone companies, and Bonner was first recorded at the same session as the younger Robert Peel. It is likely that Bonner's recording was made before Peel's as it has an earlier matrix number. Bonner was fifteen and Peel thirteen. Bonner was encouraged at every stage by Norman Cocker, the Sub Organist, and by his mentor Dr. Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Manchester, to whom John remained devoted to the end of his life. The reviews of Bonner's first record were outstanding. John Bonner did not record again until 1929, when he was nearly seventeen and recorded four more records (eight sides) for Columbia in London. -- bio and pic from Betterland.boychoirs.org "tone of remarkable depth and power . . .the boy is greatly gifted." (Herman Klein, "The Gramophone", January 1928) "All the choir [of Manchester Cathedral] were good, but one boy, Bonner, was outstanding. When he rose to sing his solo in the Children's Service, the shuffling of hundreds of feet ceased, and in the dead silence Bonner sang. Just before his voice was breaking, we were approached by the B.B.C. and they came to hear him and said: 'That is the best treble voice in England.' They offered him £2,000 for the remainder of the time before his voice broke. His parents were working people, living in a small house in a back street, and could well have done with the money. They refused, feeling that £2,000 . . . would not compensate for the harm done by publicity and studio life. Several beautiful gramophone records were, however, made." Dr Hewlett Johnson (1874-1966; Dean of Manchester 1924-31) in his autobiography Searching for Light (London, 1968, pp.68f.) Around the time Bonner's records were made, the annual salary for a family doctor (GP) was about £750, council school teachers £350 & bank clerks £280. In 1935 John was appointed bass lay vicar at Salisbury Cathedral and later moved to Lincoln Cathedral. He was Musical Director of the Sheffield Teachers' Operatic Society 1954-78 and, following his death in February 1979, the Society's Chairman Norman Coombs wrote in tribute to him: "Infectious exuberance, ebullience and enthusiasm were three of the outward facets of John's character. Beneath these facets and combined with them, lay a deep and wide understanding and practical appreciation of music and drama, which he applied to the furtherance of the Amateur Operatic and Dramatic world. His training as a boy and adult chorister in Manchester and Lincoln together with his wartime direction of an orchestra in India could well have fitted John for a successful [sc. professional] career but he concentrated on the 'Amateurs' of this world for whom he had the greatest devotion." 31 May   Andrew Ray  [Andrew Olden] Andrew Ray, born in Southgate, north London, was the younger son of popular comedian Ted Ray (real name Charles Olden [1909-1977]). He unexpectedly sprang to fame in the title role of the Royal Command performance film The Mudlark (1950), in which the 10-year-old Cockney orphan Wheeler goes to Windsor Castle to see Queen Victoria. (The story was inspired by an actual incident in December 1838 when "Edward Cotton" [real name Edwin Jones] sneaked into Buckinham Palace for the same purpose.) Andrew's brother Robin was originally cast in the part but looked too old and although their father had brought Andrew along to the studio just for an outing after a bout of mumps, he was given a screen test and secured the part. Later that year he made a Christmas record with his father. Nothing in his later stage & screen career could quite match his early success. He died in London in August 2003. (BJP) 31 May   Tim Webb Tim was a chorister at St Peter's Church, St Albans Copyright © 2008 The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory