BIOGRAPHY

Baritone David John Pike has a widely varied repertoire covering early music, oratorio, symphonic, opera and commissioned works.  In his native Canada, in the UK and across Europe, he has worked with leading ensembles including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London Philharmonic and the Schweizerkammerchor under the direction of Dutoit, Jurowski, Koopman, Marriner, Mehta, Rattle and Zinman.  He now has a growing reputation as an operatic and concert soloist.

Operatic roles have included Marcello (Bohème) in Bamberg, Sprecher (Zauberflöte) and Don Giovanni in Luxembourg, Schaunard (Bohème), and Curio (Giulio Cesare, cover) at Glyndebourne. He made his Canadian mainstage début to rave reviews last season singing Scarpia in Pacific Opera Victoria's Tosca. Other recent projects have included the role of Emirenus in the rarely performed Otto by Telemann and Handel in Magdeburg, Germany, Bach's Matthäus Passion with Kammermusik Potsdam, Messiah under John Scott at St. Thomas' Fifth Avenue, New York and the world premier of Canadian composer Andrew Ager's The Unknown Soldier. He made his role début as Il Conte di Luna in il Trovatore (cover) this year with Scottish Opera. Other highlights this season include Fauré Requiem with the Vancouver Symphony under Bramwell Tovey, Messiah with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra under Carlos Kalmer, a European tour featuring Mahler Kindertotenlieder and song recitals featuring works Butterworth, Vaughan Williams and Finzi in Ottawa, Edinburgh, London, France, Germany and Luxembourg.

Whither must I wander?, his first solo disc on Signum Classics, featuring works by Vaughan Williams, Finzi and Quilter, earned a 5-star review from BBC Music Magazine and was nominated for Recording of the Year by MusicWeb International.

David participated in English National Opera's 2008/2009 Operaworks and the IVAI under the Met's Joan Dornemann.  He has worked with celebrated baritone Sherrill Milnes and English tenor Ian Bostridge.  He studied with Theresa Goble of the Guildhall, London, William Perry at the Royal Conservatory, Toronto, and currently works with American bass Daniel Lewis Williams in Germany.  David lives with his family on the Luxembourg Moselle.

PRESS

"Mr. Pike, too, showed an ability to muster power while retaining tonal beauty, and in his case it was absolutely needed. He had to sing his big aria, 'The trumpet shall sound,' alongside the Baroque trumpet star of the moment, John Thiessen... Thiessen consistently achieves a level of high artistry, and Mr. Pike proved a worthy companion here."
- James R. Oestreich, New York Times

"Canadian baritone David John Pike offered a carefully calibrated performance, contrasting strong and forceful declarations with muted and caressed phrases. He fully captured the grandeur and glory of the music."
Hyde Park Herald, Chicago

"David John Pike displayed a potent baritone in the spiritual torments of Gilgamesh."
- John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune

"The four vocal soloists came with solid early-music credentials. Bass-baritone David John Pike was especially fine, bringing easy legato and warmth to arias often delivered in forced stentorian tones..."
- James McQuillen, Artslandia, Portland OR

"baritone David John Pike impressed with his powerful, free and magnificently timbred voice... an eloquent baritone"
- Luxemburger Wort

"...but above all, the voice of David Pike will stay with us, its powerful brilliance and dramatic character fit to embody the solemn exhortations of a prophet"
Luxemburger Wort

"first rate solo work from baritone David Pike"
- Oxford Times

"David Pike gave every dimension to the personality of Don Giovanni; his magnificent dramatic voice rendered the libretto with truth, and brought to life the tragedy and secret fever within the character."
- Luxemburger Wort

"David Pike enraptured the audience with his profound baritone voice and almost cabaret extras... Mozart would have loved it"
Trierischer Volksfreund

"a powerful, room-filling baritone who has the physical and vocal charisma to tame any wild woman"
Nordbayerische Kurier

"the Canadian baritone gave huge stature to Marcello through his vocal and acting expression"
- Fränkischer Tag

"The timbre of baritone David Pike, nuanced with warm brilliance, gave an unexpected depth to the text.  This singer, full of vigour, let the crescendos ring out and gave dramatic and religious intensity to the arioso"
- Luxemburger Wort

"David Pike's high musicality was impressive"
- Pizzicato

"The young bass is guaranteed a great future"
- Luxemburger Wort