Logo
  • Search
  • My Account Login
  • Basket
  • What’s On
    • Booking Information and FAQs
    • Choral Workshops
    • The Choral Pilgrimage 2025: Angel of Peace
    • Sounds Sublime Choral Festival
  • About Us
    • Meet The Sixteen
      • 006 colour small (for screen) – The Sixteen, Feb 2018 – compressed
      • Sixteen_Group_2_WebRes_RGB
    • Meet Harry Christophers
      • Harry ChristophersPhoto: Marco Borggreve
    • Meet our Staff
    • Our History
    • New Music
      • 1 – compressed for web 2018 Sistine Chapel
      • 1 min
      • Harry Christohpers and The Sixteen & Britten Sinfonia ahead of Genesis Foundation event at Sistine Chapel c. Adrian Myers-min
      • IA1575_GE_AM_1044-min
    • CORO Records
      • CORO_Recording_Catalogue_2021-2022
      • Download CD booklets
    • News
  • Get Involved
    • Schools
      • 3
      • DSC_1870
      • Gladstone Primary Academy Peterborough
      • image_00029 – Copy
      • schools
    • Young People
      • 16-1819
      • ACM_4268-min
      • byc-harry-christophers-saturday-157
      • DSCF3319-min
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-7240
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-7240-min
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-8146-min
    • Adults
      • 1
      • 16CAS-49
      • Choristers
      • IMG_2821
      • Lead
    • Sounds Sublime Choral Festival
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-6846-min
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-7343-min
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-7448-min
      • SoundsSublime-BenTomlin-13thJuly2024-7949-min
  • Genesis Sixteen
    • Current Members for 2024-25
      • genesis sixteen logo high res
      • Genesis Sixteen logo white
      • webgenesis
    • New Members for 2025-26
      • sixteen logo +HC
  • Watch & Listen
  • Shop
  • Support & Join
    • Supporters
    • Donate
      • byc-harry-christophers-saturday-061
      • byc-harry-christophers-saturday-189
      • edit -AIMG_1750 Faber Book Launch 2019-min
      • edit IMG_1645 Sounds Sublime 2019-min
      • John Suchet 1
      • photo (22)
      • SCC-8786 Chichester 2016-min
    • Become a Patron
      • AIMG_2109 Faber Launch 2019-min
      • edit AIMG_2605 Royal Collection 2019
      • edit dinner 3 2015 sixteen club
      • IMG-3069 Michael Watt
    • Support a Recording or New Commission
      • edit AIMG_2129 Faber Book Launch 2019-min
      • edit AIMG_2477 Royal Collection 2019
      • edit DSC_1776 August 2008 Recording-min
      • edit IMG_4381 Choral Odyssey Penshurst 2020-min
      • edit IMG_4551 Choral Odyssey Hatfield 2020-min
      • IMG_3059 Bach May 2013
      • Monteverdi 1650 still
      • monteverdi recording still
      • true englishmen still
    • Leave a Legacy
      • AIMG_2274 Faber Launch 2019-min
      • edit -AIMG_1795 Faber Book Launch 2019-min
      • edit AMIC_1011_JS_210418_2913 2018 Sistine Chapel-min
      • edit IMG_3271 Barbican MacMillan 2019-min
      • edit IMG_3500 Messiah 2019-min
      • IA1102_GEN_AM_5256 2019 EIF MacMillan-min
      • Leaving a legacy to The Sixteen in your will
      • SCC-8883 Chichester 2016-min
  • My Account Login
  • Basket

Help our story continue

We rely on the generosity of our supporters to carry out our ambitious plan of work each year.

Donate Now

Help our story continue

Donate Now
Logo
Donate now
Menu
Back

Rhys Williams

Tenor

Rhys Williams

Tenor

When and where was your first experience of music / singing?

In 2005 (my reception year), I played the role of ‘the Bossy King’ in my school nativity at Barlborough Hall School, near Sheffield where I grew up. I remember the killer line of my song was to point at the audience and shout “You forgot to bow! You forgot to bow, too!”.

Where did you grow up? Did you have access to classical music?

I grew up in Barlborough, just between Chesterfield and Sheffield on the M1. I started playing the violin at age 6 and the piano at age 9. My school always had a brilliant music department so I was very lucky to have opportunities to sing and play whenever I could. Every year from years 3-6 we held a carol service in my senior school’s chapel (which was of course the most exciting thing ever!), and, at 7 years old I got to come (a year early!) to sing the ‘Away in a Manger’ solo. It was the blitz of school ‘teatime concerts’ and playing in morning assemblies that instilled my love to perform, and as I started to get older, I began to play/sing every single opportunity I could. Every couple of years we entered the Worksop Music and Drama Festival, which is something my senior school music director always sought to sweep with as many awards as possible! I remember that, for most of my senior school life, I never had a free lunch break as there was always a rehearsal to attend (which also meant I could skip the lunch queue every day!), although this did mean I had to haul my cache of instruments and sheet music onto the school bus too!

What has been your most memorable performance so far?

During my third year of university, which I spent in the USA on exchange, I performed with the University of Maryland Chamber Singers at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC alongside the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda. We did 2 concert series: one of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Requiem, and one of Bach’s Magnificat and the first part of Handel’s ‘Messiah’. It was an exhausting couple of weeks, but it was so much fun to do! I remember having to write lab reports and revise for my final aerodynamics exam on the bus to and from Washington!

What would your dream performance be?

Good question! I really want to sing the tenor solo part for Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (which I might be doing later this year!), and doing it somewhere like the Concertgebouw or the Vienna Musikverein would be a dream, especially with period instruments!

What are you looking forward to with Genesis Sixteen?

I’m very excited to sing alongside some of the UK’s best young musicians. One of my favourite things to do with a choir is to be able to work on a piece until it is as good as it possibly can be and, at this level I’m really hoping to be able to do that with Genesis Sixteen too. I’m excited to explore new repertoire and meet new people who love music as much as I do. I’d love to work on my general musicianship and conducting skills too; and the opportunity to receive such instruction at this level is simply wonderful. I can’t wait!

Outside of singing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I play in a few orchestras at university, one of which I lead; and I also play the organ at my local church when I’m not singing with the choir. Outside of music I am an amateur radio enthusiast. My dad and I have built our own small radio station and we like to try and make contacts from outside in the garden. We’ve got as far as eastern Europe so far!

Are you still in education? Are you in any other young artists schemes?

I’ve just finished my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Next, I’ll either be studying at Cambridge and Oxford for a master’s and PhD respectively, or I’ll be heading to École Centrale de Lyon, France, for a master’s.

Outside of performances with Genesis Sixteen, have you got any concerts coming up?

I travelled to Florence twice this summer! Once with the University of Edinburgh Chamber Choir, and secondly as part of the Florence Choral Course with the Medici Archive Project. I also stepped in for a friend of mine with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) Chorus singing Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ at the BBC Proms this year. I’m also hoping to organise a violin recital in the coming months.

Stay connected with The Sixteen

Subscribe to our mailing list for monthly updates

Sign up
Logo
  • Jobs
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
Classic FM Lottery Logo

The Sixteen Ltd. Reg. No. 1930741. The Sixteen Productions Ltd. Reg. No. 4252277.

Registered Office: Mary Sumner House, 24 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3RB

Registered charity No. 326917

Heading to the box office

You’re going to the venue’s website to book

Be part of something bigger

We rely on the generosity of our supporters to help fulfil our mission of bringing choral music to the widest and most diverse audience possible. Be a part of our story by donating today.

Donate Now