John Treleaven
Patron of Helston Chamber Choir
We are immensely privileged to have as our Patron, the world-renowned, Porthleven-born Heldentenor, John Treleaven.
John Treleaven studied at the London College of Music with William Lloyd Webber, among others, and at the London Opera Centre, Covent Garden, as well as in Naples under Maestro Campanino. At first he sang primarily in his home country at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Welsh National Opera, the Scottish National Opera and the English National Opera, where he learned numerous roles. He has sung major roles in Edinburgh, Adelaide, Taormina, Amsterdam, Paris, and New York.
His highly acclaimed German debut at the Mannheim National Theatre as Peter Grimes was in 1991, a role he has since sung in Hamburg , Bremen, Frankfurt and Genoa, Buenos Aires and Strasbourg. His other repertoire is immensely varied, and has taken him to sing in Berlin, Madrid, and Helsinki.
John Treleaven is one of the most sought after Heldentenors at the major international opera houses, notably for his affinity with Wagnerian heroes: Siegfried, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Tannhaüser and Tristan. He continues to add to his extensive and hugely varied repertoire.
We were privileged that on a rare visit back home, John attended our regular choir rehearsal on Tuesday, 25th April 2017.
Nigel Wicken
We are delighted to have Nigel Wicken as our Musical Director. Nigel was extremely fortunate to be taught and inspired at school in Cirencester by Peter Maxwell Davies who later became Master of the Queen’s Music.
At the Royal College of Music he studied trumpet and organ (with Harold Darke) and after a period working for the Arts Council he started teaching at Cheltenham College, and later became Director of Music at a boarding school in Sussex and then in Hampshire.
Since moving to Cornwall he has been appointed Musical Director of St. Mary’s Penzance, where he conducts the Orchestra of St. Mary’s. He founded the chamber choir Camerata Kernow and is the conductor of the St. Mewan Sinfonia and the continuo player in the early music group. the Heinichen Ensemble.
He was appointed to his position with Helston Chamber Choir in February 2016.
Helston Chamber Choir 