Ashley Riches
studied English at King’s College, Cambridge where he sang in the Chapel Choir under Stephen Cleobury. From 2012-14 he was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, where he made his debut in a duet with Robert Alagna and represented the house at a gala celebrating Young Artist Programmes at the Bolshoi Theatre. He is currently a BBC New Generation Artist.

Highlights of this season include Creon in Stravinsky “Oedipus Rex” with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Berlin Philharmonic, Purcell “The Fairy Queen” with Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music, a European tour of Bach “Christmas Oratorio” with Masaki Suzuki and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Ferryman in Britten “Curlew River” with the Britten Sinfonia at the new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Pirate King in Mike Leigh’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” at English National Opera and the title role in Mozart “Don Giovanni” for Opera Holland Park, along with song recitals and recordings with Simon Lepper, Sholto Kynoch, Anna Tilbrook and Joseph Middleton.

His song discography includes Poulenc Chansons “Gaillardes” with Graham Johnson (Hyperion), the songs of Arthur Sullivan with David Owen Norris (Chandos) and a world premier recording of the Shakespeare Sonnets of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco with Emma Abbate (Resonus). He has also recorded Handel “L’Allegro, il Pensieroso ed il Moderato” with the Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (Gabrieli)Bach “St Matthew Passion” (Bass arias, Pilate) with the Monteverdi Choir (Soli Deo Gloria) and Bach “St John Passion” (Jesus) with Crouch End Festival Chorus, the first recording in English for over fifty years.