VISI Faculty: Stephen Varcoe
Stephen
Varcoe (baritone) is well known as a song recitalist, appearing in many
British and European cities, as well as the USA, Canada, Israel and Hong
Kong.
He works frequently with some of the UK's finest accompanists, and has
many song CDs to his credit: Finzi, Parry and Stanford with Clifford
Benson; Armstrong Gibbs with Roger Vignoles; Percy Grainger with Penelope
Thwaites. His next recording project is the complete songs of Vaughan
Williams with Julius Drake.
Stephen and Graham Johnson first met as students at a series of master classes given in London by the legendary French singer, Pierre Bernac, and not long afterwards, when Graham founded the Songmaker's Almanac, Stephen became involved in many of the group's recitals at the Wigmore Hall. Their subsequent collaboration has resulted in many recordings together, including the Hyperion Schubert edition, the complete Fauré songs, and Chabrier and Hahn songs.
With another colleague from student days, Peter Seymour, Stephen has formed a partnership for the performance of early Lieder with fortepiano. They have given recitals together of this repertoire in the UK, and made a number of radio programmes for WDR in Germany.
Alongside his concert work, Stephen is studying at the University of York for a PhD on communication in song, and he gives lectures, master classes and seminars on this and related topics. He teaches at the Royal College of Music in London, at the Dartington and Hereford summer schools, and is often called upon to adjudicate prizes at Universities and Music Colleges. His book, Sing English Song, is designed to encourage students to explore a fascinating and neglected repertoire.