Biography
Garreth Romain is a British countertenor from Bradford, West Yorkshire and a recent graduate of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance. There, he was awarded the Kathleen Roberts Vocal Scholarship, Finzi Trust and the Wilfred Greenhouse Allt Prize for Oratorio and Cantata. Previous roles for Trinity Laban Opera Scenes include Athamas in Händel's Semele, Hamor in Händel's Jephtha and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. He studied classical voice under the tutelage of tenor, Dominic Natoli. Since leaving Trinity Laban, Garreth has worked with Blackheath Halls Opera and Random Opera Company for operatic performances. He is now under the tutelage of internationally renowned countertenor, Andrew Watts.
Garreth began his singing career as a chorister and lay clerk at Bradford Cathedral, touring Canada, Germany, Spain, and various venues in the UK. He also attended the Junior School in the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, taking lessons in piano, voice, musicianship, and composition and performing with the Junior RNCM vocal ensemble. Garreth continues his choral work with the Chineke! Voices, The Philharmonia Chorus and the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, obtaining his 19th year of singing experience.
In 2013, Garreth began his BMus (Hons) at the University of Huddersfield, specialising in classical piano under the tuition of Joan Dixon. There, he created an acapella group named ‘The Ragtag Bunch of Misfits’ and sang in Huddersfield University’s Choir and Chamber Choir.
During a gap year, Garreth became a choral scholar at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Leeds, and a lay clerk at Wakefield Cathedral, continuing his choral scholarship during his studies at The University of Leeds. Whilst studying there, he specialised in classical voice under tenor, Austin Gunn. Also, he joined the Leeds University Union Music Society (LUUMS) Symphonic Choir to sing ‘Esurientes’ from J. S. Bach’s Magnificat BWV 243 and ‘Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris’ from Vivaldi’s Gloria RV 589. Garreth also had the privilege of performing the UK premiere of Juliana Hall’s song-cycle for countertenor and piano, O Mistress Mine.
Other highlights of his career to date include participating in a BBC One television Broadcast of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and several Radio 4 Broadcasts for Sunday Worship. Garreth also joined Leeds University Union Opera Society (LUU OperaSoc) where he took part in the productions of Mack the Knife (Tiger Brown) and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Princess Ida(King Gama).