Soloists announced for Haydn's "The Creation" on 13 June 2026
Sheffield Chamber Orchestra is delighted to announce the three distinguished soloists who will join us for our performance of Haydn’s The Creation on Saturday 13 June 2026 with Steel City Choristers.
This monumental oratorio – a vivid musical depiction of the forming of the world – calls for singers capable of both operatic drama and oratorio clarity. We are thrilled to welcome soprano Claire Lees, tenor Tom Smith, and baritone Andrew Randall for what promises to be a memorable evening.
Claire Lees – Soprano
Born in Lancashire, Claire Lees studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She is an alumna of the Samling Artist Programme, winner of the 2019 Wil Keune Mozart Prize at the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, and a recipient of an Opera Awards Foundation bursary.
Her operatic roles include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Naiad (Ariadne auf Naxos), La Musica (Orfeo), and Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), as well as appearances in productions at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera Holland Park, Iford Arts, and Blackheath Halls Opera. She has also performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, the Barbican Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, St Martin‑in‑the‑Fields, and Peterborough Cathedral.
Claire is a member of the Chorus of Opera North, where her roles include Susanna, Pamina, Lisette and Despina. In 2026 she returns to Garsington Opera to sing Minera and Amore in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisses.
Tom Smith – Tenor
Hartlepool‑born tenor Tom Smith gained his Master’s degree in Operatic Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music, studying with Eric Roberts. He has appeared with Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Scottish Opera, Bergen National Opera, Welsh National Opera and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Tom has worked with conductors including Carlo Rizzi, Valery Gergiev and Sir Charles Mackerras, performing repertoire ranging from La Traviata and Semele to Falstaff, Candide, Albert Herring and The Magic Flute. He is also an accomplished recitalist and oratorio singer, recognised as both a Samling Young Artist and a Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Artist.
Awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Silver Medal, Tom has also performed for His Royal Highness King Charles at both a private residence in Wales and Buckingham Palace. Since 2023 he has been a member of the Chorus of Opera North.
Andrew Randall – Baritone
Derbyshire‑born baritone Andrew Randall studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire after first pursuing international‑level archery. He has held principal lay clerk positions at Birmingham and Worcester Cathedrals and performed with ensembles including Ex Cathedra, the Armonico Consort and the Lassus Consort.
Recent engagements include principal, ensemble and cover work with Opera North and The Grange Festival in repertoire such as Peter Grimes, La Bohème, The Flying Dutchman, Falstaff, Ariadne auf Naxos and Così fan tutte. Roles he has covered or performed include Guglielmo, Schaunard, Sid, Harlekin, Nick Shadow and Demetrius.
Andrew is an award‑winning singer, with prizes including the Andrew Downes Contemporary Music Competition, the John Ireland Music Prize and the Ashleyan Opera Prize. Alongside performing, he teaches singing at Shrewsbury School, Wakefield Grammar School and Westbourne School, and sings regularly with Sheffield Cathedral Choir.
A Landmark Work
Haydn’s The Creation stands among the greatest choral‑orchestral masterpieces, combining vivid orchestral storytelling with lyrical arias and dramatic choruses. With this outstanding trio of soloists joining Sheffield Chamber Orchestra and Steel City Choristers, audiences can look forward to a performance full of colour, energy and expressive depth.