Nicky Spence, winner of Gramophone’s 2020 Solo Vocal Award (for his album of Janáček for Hyperion), has joined Help Musicians, the 100-year-old charity supporting musicians across the UK, as an Ambassador.

Spence’s long relationship with the charity began when Help Musicians supported him to study at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and The National Opera Studio at the start of his career. He has since gone on to raise over £25,000 as part of a Glasgow to London charity bike ride and be an active advocate for the breadth of work the charity does to support musicians. He joins the charity at a crucial moment in its history as it marks its centenary year and works to support musicians back into live performance following the unprecedented pandemic crisis.

‘It’s fair to say that I would simply not be enjoying a career if it weren’t for the support of Help Musicians,’ the tenor commented. ‘Coming from a working-class background, it was not the obvious choice for me to become a classical musician but their support endorsed me on my path and I’ve been compelled to give back ever since. They have been an extraordinary force for good during the pandemic and I’m looking froward to what we can achieve together.’

On Monday (August 16), as part of this year’s BBC Proms season, Spence joins a host of British opera stars, including fellow Help Musicians ambassador Natalya Romaniw (Gramophone’s current Young Artist of the Year), and the BBC Philharmonic to perform excerpts from Beethoven’s Fidelio. Elsewhere, he will be sharing his talents with the wider world when he tries to prove 'Anyone Can Sing' as part of a new Sky Arts show alongside the English National Opera.  

The 2021/22 season sees Nicky Spence make his role debut as Siegmund in a new production of The Valkyrie for English National Opera directed by Richard Jones and conducted by Martyn Brabbins. He also returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Laca in Claus Guth’s new production of Jenůfa conducted by Henrik Nánási and as Samson in Richard Jones’s new production of Samson et Dalila opposite Elīna Garanča and conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. Spence also makes his debut at the Deutsche Staatsoper as Gregor in The Makropoulos Case, in another new production by Claus Guth and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. On record expect 2022 to bring albums of Vaughan Williams (Hyperion) and Schubert (Signum) songs, and the title-role in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito (Alpha Classics).