At a Glance
Randall has become a sought-after artist by some of the world’s most esteemed opera houses. Recent years have seen a string of impressive debuts, all highly-praised by the international press, including singing to sold-out audiences at London’s Royal Opera House as Apollo in Britten’s Death in Venice, performing the role of Michael at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Haas’s newly composed opera Thomas, and as Adone (Adonis) at Staatsoper Hamburg in the world premiere of Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone. A dramatically persuasive and intensely musical interpreter, Randall is recognised for winning over audiences with his stunning vocal beauty, stylish singing, and charismatic stage presence. He has worked with the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Carnegie Hall, Sant Fe Opera, the New York Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Göttingen Handel Festival, Italy’s Spoleto Festival, Boston Baroque and many others. He has been particularly lauded for the leads in Handel’s Rinaldo, Orlando, and Giulio Cesare; Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Gluck’s Orfeo. Upcoming, he debuts at Venice’s Teatro La Fenice as the Adone in Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone.
In addition to performing on stage, Randall has released a series of acclaimed albums on the Signum Classics label. His debut solo album with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Laurence Cummings conducting was entitled The Crown: Heroic Arias for Senesino (2022). He then collaborated with lutenist and Grammy award winner Stephen Stubbs on Lovesick (2022) recording songs of heartbreak and solitude. His most recent recording was Infinite Refrain (2023), consisting of gay love duets from 17th-century Venice with tenor Jorge Navarro Colorado and the Academy of Ancient Music. These albums have been noted as: ‘ground-breaking‘ (Limelight), ‘highly ambitious’, ‘revelatory and significant‘ (Opera Wire), ‘skillfully planned and beautifully executed‘ (Gramophone), and an ‘enchantment of riches’ (Music Web International). Scotting himself has been recogised on these projects for: ‘ravishing vocalism’ (BBC Music Magazine), and ‘full, darkly mellifluous’ singing (Gramophone) while being ‘virile and layered ‘ (Opera Wire), ‘confident and stylish’ (Limelight), and possessing ‘real musical intelligence’(Opera). Upcoming, he releases his next solo album Divine Impresario, once again collaborating with the Academy of Ancient Music and Laurence Cummings, exploring the virtuosic music composed for the famed castrato Nicolini.
“stunningly performed by Randall Scotting… his second aria reaffirmed the initial impact of an exceptionally powerful countertenor voice”
– Tony Ryan, TheatreReview
About Randall
Standing 6’3” (191 cm) with a muscular build, he breaks the typical countertenor mold. His warm, full, and resonant sound defies stereotypes and sets a new standard in the voice part.
Raised in Colorado, he also played the cello for 14 years while growing up. His roots are English, Welsh and Scottish… so, yeah, he can rock the bagpipes when the occasion calls.
Studied vocal performance at Juilliard and the University of Colorado; he also lived in London for 8 years and was awarded a PhD from the Royal College of Music for his thesis on forgotten 18th century Italian operas.
A former vocal fellow at Ravinia’s Steans Institute in Chicago, the Britten-Pears Programme in Aldeburgh, UK, and the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall in New York.
As a previous Fulbright Scholar researching and performing Bartók and Ligeti, he spent 3 years living in Budapest… and will happily teach you how to swear in Hungarian.
Passionate about health and fitness, any day that’s not spent performing or rehearsing, he can usually be found lifting heavy things at the gym or trekking up the nearest mountain.
Career Highlights
Debut solo album, The Crown, heroic arias for Senesino with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment led by Laurence Cummings, on the Signum Classics label
Role and house debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Michael in Georg Friedrich Haas’ opera Thomas
Role and house debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Apollo in Britten’s Death in Venice
Lute and folk song album, LOVESICK, with lutenist and Grammy award winner Stephen Stubbs on the Signum Classics label
Carnegie Hall debut as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Masterwork Chorus
Impressive debut at the Hamburg Staatsoper as Adonis the world premiere of Sciarrino’s Venere e Adone
Widely acclaimed role debut as the Refugee in Dove’s opera Flight at Seattle Opera, with other roles there including Handel’s Semele and Alcina
Featured on the BBC documentary Mozart’s London Odyssey singing JC Bach and discussing the star castrato, Manzuoli
European stage debut at Italy’s Spoleto Festival dei due mondi in Vivaldi’s Ercole su’l Termodonte
Alongside more traditional repertoire, Randall plunges headfirst into all manner of musical genres, regularly singing art song, new commissions, and even cabaret. He has performed in staged versions of Xenakis’ The Oresteia, Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King. He has improvised with Bobby McFerrin at Carnegie Hall and performed with the provocative burlesque troupe Company XIV in a virtuosic spectacle singing opera, folk, and pop standards, while strip-teasing in stiletto platform boots.
“Scotting has a luscious countertenor sound with all of the depth and clarity most lack while singing in the stratospheric ranges of the male voice.”
– Evan McCormack, Opera Pulse
Randall trained at the Royal College of Music in London, the Juilliard School in New York, and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. In 2018 he was awarded a PhD in 18th century Italian operas by under-represented composers. He made his leading operatic debut at Spoleto’s Festival dei due mondi as Teseo in Vivaldi’s Ercole su’l Termodonte (available on DVD) with the ensemble Il Complesso Barocco. In addition to his forthcoming album releases, Randall’s discography includes the title role in Antonio Caldara’s oratorio Santo Stefano primo re dell’Ungheria and as the soloist in a modern cantata for chorus and countertenor entitled Dive: A Water Music.