About

“effortlessly smooth and mellifluous” – The Guardian

William Gaunt was born in Yorkshire and received his early musical education there as a chorister at Ripon Cathedral. Following a choral scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge, he began his professional career in the choir of Christ Church, Oxford, before spending 17 years at Westminster Cathedral. Since 2021 he and his family have been resident in Ireland.

A committed ensemble singer, William performs in Ireland and abroad with such groups as Theatre of Voices (Denmark), the Gabrieli Consort, Tenebrae and Gallicantus (UK), Resurgam and Chamber Choir Ireland.

As a soloist. William performs much of the core  oratorio and concert repertory. Performances have included Carissimi Historia di Abraham et Isaac and Jephte; Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610; Bach Johannes-Passion, Matthäus-Passion, Mass in B Minor, Magnificat; Handel Messiah, Acis and Galatea, Judas Maccabaeus, Brockes-Passion and Samson; Haydn Creation, Stabat Mater and Nelson Mass; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater; Mendelssohn St Paul; Dvóřak Stabat Mater; Fauré Requiem; Stravinsky Les Noces; Tippett A Child of Our Time; Pärt Passio. He has appeared with the Gabrieli Consort/Paul McCreesh; the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/Sir Stephen Cleobury; the Choir of Christ Church, Oxford/Stephen Darlington; Le Concert d’Astrée/Emmanuelle Haïm; Dunedin Consort/John Butt; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Richard Cooke; Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht/Johannes Leertouwer; Ulster Orchestra/David Brophy; Portland Baroque Orchestra/Desmond Earley; Chamber Choir Ireland, Ars Nova Copenhagen and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir/Paul Hillier; Orchester Wiener Akademie/Martin Haselböck; Freiburger Barockorchester/Kristian Bezuidenhout. On stage he recently created the role of Homer in Irish National Opera’s premiere production of Evangelia Rigaki’s Old Ghosts.

William’s solo recordings include  Monteverdi Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 with both the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Howarth and the Dunedin Consort/Butt; Fauré Requiem with the London Symphony Orchestra Chamber Ensemble/Short; Handel Messiah with Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht/Leertouwer; Bach Matthäus-Passion with the Academy of Ancient Music/Cleobury.