Lyndon Gardner gained his A.R.C.M. diploma in 1983 and studied music as a mature student at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. A Welshman, now living in the Midlands, he is an experienced lyric tenor soloist performing in concerts and a wide variety of Oratorios throughout the country and more recently, abroad, who has developed an enviable reputation as an intelligent tenor of genuine quality, with stage presence, musicality and an educated sense of style.
Lyndon appears regularly as an Oratorio soloist and his extensive repertoire includes works by Francisco Valls, Montiverdi, Schütz, Steffani, Purcell, J.S.Bach (escpecially as an evangelist), Pergolesi, Handel, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Dvorak, Verdi (incl. the Requiem), Puccini (incl. Messa di Gloria), Elgar (incl. Gerontius), Finzi, Vaughan-Williams, Britten, Stravinski and Tippet. With his excellent sight singing skills, extensive and varied repertoire, he is at home in all styles of music including the avant-garde and is a reliable and proficient late substitute performer.
On the stage, Lyndon's roles include Ormindo, Tamino, Ferrando, Count Almaviva(Barber of Seville), Nemorino, Alfredo, Radamès, Ricardo(Un Ballo in Maschera), Eisenstein and Alfred (Die Fledermaus), Camille(Merry Widow), Rodolfo, Cavaradossi, B.F.Pinkerton, Don José and Remendado, Pang and Beppe in addition to other roles in the operas of Bellini, Massenet, Weill, Menotti, Britten (incl. Albert Herring) and Gilbert and Sullivan(incl. Frederick, Nanki-Poo, the Defendant, Marco, Alexis, Richard Dauntless and Captain Fitzbattleaxe). He is principal tenor with operahouse and with the contemporary, electronic/interactive Solid State Opera with which he toured the Midlands in the role of the Flight Engineer in The Last Broadcast.
Lyndon was a Choral Scholar to the Leicestershire Choral Scheme for six years and tenor soloist with the Midlands Chorale for four years. He made his BBC Radio debut in 1978 and made his first performance on television in the World Premiere of the 5K Pursuit Opera broadcast on Channel 4 in June 1992 and as part of the San Francisco Golden Gate Festival the following year.
Lyndon has been selected to take part in numerous first performances including the World Student Premiere of Stravinski's Les Noces whilst at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, the first modern performances of Santa Pelagia and San Giovanni Battista by Stradella, and Colonna's Il Mosé, Legato di Dio for the musical academic Victor Crowther at Loughborough University. In 1998 Lyndon performed the role of the Spirit of the Stoneplant in the World Premiere of the major outdoor interactive, installation, operatic venture Out of the Blue for the Seachange Trust at Great Yarmouth, directed by Hilary Westlake with music composed by Pip Greasley.
Recent major performances include concert performances at Buxton Opera House and Derby Theatre, Canio and Don Ottavio for operahouse, Alfredo in La Traviata, Carmina Burana with the Southport Bach Choir, Handel's Messiah in Nottingham, Mozart's Requiem and Vespers (with Neal Davies, Hilary Summer, Bethan Dudley and the Welsh Philharmonia Orchestra) in South Wales, the role of Gerontius in the Dream of Gerontius and The Liverpool Requiem with the Edwin James Festival Chorus and Orchestra in Worthing.
Future plans include Radamès in Verdi's Aïda in 2011 for operahouse, the Evangelist in J.S.Bach's St. John Passion, Haydn's Creation, the Verdi Requiem, Puccini's Messa di Gloria and the title role of the world premiere of the contemporary opera Ivanhoe by John Middleton in 2011/2012.
Lyndon has had the privilege of participating in master-classes with Constance Shacklock, Donald Adams and Robert Williams and a study weekend with Nina Walker and Phillip Gregson of the Royal Operahouse Covent Garden. He studied breifly with Hervey Alan at the Royal College of Music and with Ian Partridge before more lengthy study with the Australian operatic tenor Arthur Solomon, with Brian Burrows whilst at the Welsh College, and extensively with the bel canto baritone Gwyn Griffiths (a student of Allessandro Pius), and most recently with the bel canto tenor David Maxwell-Harrison (a student of Ettore Campogalliani).
Whilst still fully involved as a performer, Lyndon is now a vocal coach himself and is enjoying the challenge of sharing the knowledge gained through his previous mentors and his varied and wide experience to a new generation of performers.
Quotes
"Lyndon Gardner's keen edged tenor was often thrilling as in the Rex Tremendae."
Verdi Requiem - Loughborough Echo
"Lyndon Gardner's tenor was musical and expressive."
Handel's Messiah - South Wales Argus
"Nemorino, superbly played by Lyndon Gardner with his subtle human touches and silky smooth sounds, played both the lovelorn victim and comic hero with great effectiveness."
L'Elisir D'Amore - Leicester Mercury
"Lyndon Gardner has the knack of swift and vivid character-drawing."
Nottingham Evening Post
" ... Lyndon Gardner coped magnificently both on the dramatic and operatic side."
5K Pursuit Opera - Daily Mail
"Lyndon Gardner has that rare ability to create an atmosphere and appreciate the moods and styles of the music he undertakes to perform." - Henry Cummings
"It was amazing to hear your terrifyingly real Ivanhoe - which was true to my original conception"
The composer, John Middleton, at the world premiere of his operea Ivanhoe.
"Among the men, only Lyndon Gardner appeared physically at ease, but he is a complete performer."
Loughborough Echo
"Lyndon Gardner as Alfredo gave a performance full of subtlety and changing tone colours, alternatively aggressive, reflective and especially tender in the Act 3 duet "Parigi o cara" with Violetta."
La Traviata - Loughborough Echo