Nick Pritchard, tenor and Joseph Middleton, piano

Pianist Joseph Middleton specializes in the art of song accompaniment and chamber music and has been internationally acclaimed as one of the finest musicians in this field.  A native of Tetbury, he is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of music, and as well as performing and recording world-wide, he is a festival director and sought-after pedagogue.  

Named ‘the absolute King of programming’ by Gramophone Magazine, Joseph frequently devises series for BBC Radio 3, Wigmore Hall and the University of Cambridge. He is Musician in Residence at Pembroke College Cambridge where he curates a series of song recitals and directs the University’s Lieder Scheme. He is a Fellow of his alma mater, the Royal Academy of Music, where he is also a Professor of Ensemble Piano. 

For the past 11 years he has also been Director of Leeds Song, a Festival recently praised in the Guardian for its ‘World-class’ programming and lauded in The Times for bringing: ‘musical riches to Yorkshire through star performers, engaging new commissions and bold educational projects….a Northern powerhouse of song.’ 

Tenor Nick Pritchard is highly regarded both as a leading interpreter of Bach and as a distinguished song recitalist. Celebrated for his performances of the Evangelist in Bach’s Passions, he has appeared worldwide with leading ensembles, and his recording of the St John Passion for Deutsche Grammophon with Sir John Eliot Gardiner was nominated for a Grammy Award (2023).   

Alongside his concert work, song recital lies at the heart of his artistic identity. He made his Edinburgh International Festival recital debut in 2023 with Ian Tindale, broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and has appeared at Wigmore Hall, Oxford International Song Festival, and the Aldeburgh, Ryedale and Lammermuir Festivals. He has collaborated with pianists including Ian Tindale, Julius Drake, James Baillieu, Malcolm Martineau and Graham Johnson.   

In 2025 he released his debut recital album Little Wanderer on Signum, and is Artist in Residence with the Temple Music Foundation, presenting three recital projects.