Joshua Owen Mills

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Born in Neath, South Wales, Joshua studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and was a Jerwood Young Artist with Glyndebourne Opera. Joshua became a member of the Opera Studio at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich in 2015 and subsequently joined the Stadttheater Klagenfurt in 2017 as a member of their ensemble.

With a particular passion and flare for Mozart, Joshua made his debut in the role of Don Ottavio Don Giovanni while at the Staattheater Klagenfurt, and made his debut at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in the same role in the 18/19 season.  His appreciation of this repertoire is illustrated by the prizes awarded at Garsington Opera (Tamino Die Zauberflöte) and Glyndebourne respectively, as well as winning second prize at the National Mozart Singing Competition. Joshua also sang Mozart’s Requiem at the Royal Festival Hall.

While at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Joshua had the opportunity to explore contemporary works, and debuted roles in two world premières: Hohe Schattern in Mauerschau by Hauke Jasper Berheide, and Henry ‘Birdie’ Bowers in the world première of Miroslav Srnka’s South Pole. Further roles in Munich included Don Gaspard La Favorite, Mr Upfold Albert Herring, Nerèo Mefistofele, Nika Magadoff The Consul, Cricket in Z by Minas Bordoudakis and Berra in the children’s opera Kannst du Pfeifen Johanna by Gordon Kampe (revived in spring 2019). In 2018 Joshua returned to Munich as a guest soloist to sing Nerèo Mefistofele, Jeppo Liverotto in Lucrezia Borgia, and Junger Mann in Nikolaus Brass’ Die Vorübergehenden. Further operatic roles include Gastone La Traviata, (Glyndebourne & Bayerische Staatsoper), and Hotel Porter Death in Venice (Garsington Opera). Joshua also appeared with Bayersiche Staatsoper on live recordings of Donizetti’s La Favorite (Deutsche Grammophon), and Mefistofele and Un ballo in maschera, (both Unitel Edition).

In concert, Joshua has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Künstlerhaus & Nymphenburg Palace, and the North American Festival of Wales in Minneapolis, and has performed under the baton of conductors Paolo Arrivabeni, Andrea Battistoni, Daniele Callegari, Karel Mark Chichon, Asher Fisch, Friedrich Haider, Lothar Koenigs, Oksana Lyniv, Zubin Mehta, Kirill Petrenko, Lorenzo Viotti, Omer Meir Wellber and Simone Young. Highlights include an appearance at the Last Night of the BBC Proms in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, returning to his native Wales for a ‘St David’s Celebration’ with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, performing in the world première of Brian Hughes’ Sorrows of the Somme with National Youth Arts Wales as part of the ‘Wales Remembers’ programme, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Bayerische Staatsorchester. Joshua recently joined the Oxford Lieder Festival both for ‘Schubert & Co’, and later in the season for recitals accompanied by Oxford Lieder’s Artistic Director Sholto Kynoch. He has sung Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings on several occasions, including at LSO St Lukes, led by violinist Candida Thompson, as well as understudying Ian Bostridge with Sir Antonio Pappano and the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome. Further appearances include St John Passion with the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra in Finland, Messiah with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus; and ‘Italienische Sommernacht’, an evening of arias and duets with the Münchner Symphoniker.

This season Joshua returns to Bayerische Staatsoper to sing Leibbojar Boris Godunov, will sing Don Ottavio Don Giovanni at Nevill Holt Opera and will cover the role of Nemorino L’elisir d’amore for Glyndebourne on Tour. On the concert platform he sings at the Festival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and for a recital in Amorbach in Germany.

Artist Website: www.joshuaowenmills.com

Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to make sure you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Evie Parker

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