Countertenor Jake Arditti is acclaimed for his vocal brilliance, fearless stagecraft, and magnetic dramatic presence. Combining “show-stealing riches of vocal colour and stage presence” (The Telegraph) with an instinctive theatricality, he has become one of the most exciting countertenors of his generation.
Already a professional singer at the age of eleven when he performed Yniold in Pelléas et Mélisande at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Arditti later came to international attention as a prize-winner at the 2012 Innsbruck Cesti Competition. Since then, his career has encompassed Baroque masterpieces, neglected gems, and contemporary works. All unified by his bold artistry and commanding stage charisma.
A defining role of his career has been Nerone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. Arditti’s collaboration with director Ted Huffman in this celebrated production has brought him to major stages including the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Oper Köln, and Nederlandse Reisopera. He has also appeared as Nerone in productions at Theater Basel, directed by Christophe Marthaler, and with Pinchgut Opera in Sydney. His searing portrayal of the mercurial emperor, combining vocal agility with raw theatrical power, has earned him widespread acclaim and established him as a leading interpreter of the role.
Arditti is equally admired for his interpretations of Handel. His roles include David in Saul (Theater an der Wien, Semperoper Dresden), Rinaldo (Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, Glyndebourne Tour, Pinchgut Opera Sydney), Serse (Opéra de Rouen), Sesto in Giulio Cesare (Teatro Colón, Theater an der Wien, Händel-Festspiele Halle), Nerone in Agrippina (Theater an der Wien, Göttingen Handel Festival, Opéra de Rouen), and Amanzio in Giustino (Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre). He has also brought rare works to life, including Emone in Traetta’s Antigone and Apollo in Legrenzi’s La Divisione del Mondo with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, alongside roles in Cavalli’s Elena and Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie at the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival.
Arditti’s versatility extends beyond the Baroque: his repertoire ranges from Prince Gogo in Ligeti’s Le grand macabre and Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, to Carl Orff’s Trionfo (Staatsoper Hamburg), Max Richter’s SUM (Royal Opera House, Linbury Theatre), and contemporary works by Olga Neuwirth, Hilda Paredes, and Salvatore Sciarrino. His concert performances have taken him to leading venues across Europe and beyond, in collaborations with Il Pomo d’Oro, Les Talens Lyriques, Ensemble intercontemporain, and the Arditti Quartet.
Highlights of the 2026/27 season include the role of Satarino in a new production of Cavalli’s La Calisto, directed by Stefan Herheim, at Theater an der Wien and Staatsoper Berlin. Arditti returns to the role of Nerone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at Oper Köln and takes on Arsamenes in a new production of Handel’s Serse at Garsington Opera.
(2026_27_Please use this biography exclusively.)
