M.A. Oxon
Member: APTA

(Association Française des Professeurs de la Technique Alexander)

British bass, Malcolm King, originally planned an academic career, but after graduating from Oxford University opted for singing, and started working professionally without ever having taken singing lessons. He then began his vocal studies with E. Herbert Caesari. Winner of the coveted Leverhulme Scholarship, he then studied for two years in Rome with Luigi Ricci, and later with Otakar Kraus in London.

In 1975 Malcolm made his debut at the English National Opera as Leporello, and in the same year joined the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as principal bass, where he sang for four seasons. In the same period he was invited regularly to the Glyndebourne Festival (Rake’s Progress, Pelléas et Mélisande, Der Freischütz, Capriccio, Don Giovanni). In 1977 he made his Paris Opéra debut as Masetto, the role he was chosen to play in Joseph Losey’s film of Don Giovanni. Now singing throughout Europe, Malcolm continued his connection with the Paris Opéra, notably as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro under Dohnànyi, and at the Scala sang the protagonist’s role in La Pietra di Paragone (Rossini) in the production by Eduardo de Filippo.  For the BBC he recorded operas by Verdi, Rimski-Korsakov and Vaughan Williams, and each year participated in their annual Promenade Concerts.  At the same time he was invited to many international festivals, such as Edinburgh, Madrid, Aldeburgh, Aix-en-Provence and Santa Fé.

Malcolm’s concert repertoire is very extensive, from the Baroque to contemporary works, with a special accent on Russian music and the Italian oratorio. For four years he was a regular guest of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti, with whom he also recorded and sang extensively in Europe (including a performance of Beethoven’s ninth symphony in Florence “In Memoriam Italo Calvino”).  Rostropovitch, Rozhdezvenski, Osawa, Eötvos, Cambreling and Rattle have directed him in works by Stravinsky, Mussorgsky, Borodin and Shostakovich, especially the latter’s 13th and 14th symphonies, with which he has a particular affinity. He has given many Lieder recitals, this absorbing repertoire being the original stimulus of his involvement in singing.

From 1980 onwards, the year in which he sang Figaro at the Paris Opera and was invited by the Metropolitan Opera to sing Leporello, Malcolm decided to dedicate more time to teaching, undertaking research in various fields related to artistic expression, the voice and the body. In 1988, he was invited by Gérard Mortier to become conseiller musical and vocal coach at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, and from then on limited his appearances to this theatre. Among his roles were Leporello in the Hermanns’ famous version of Don Giovanni, Assur in Semiramide, Seneca in Luc Bondy’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Pimen in Boris Godunov, Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra and the Doctor in Wozzeck.  For the Monnaie’s edition of Poppea, he revised the libretto from the original manuscripts.

Malcolm has recorded for Decca, Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, RCA, Argo and Erato.  His principle recordings include Don Giovanni, La Petite Messe Solennelle, the Glagolitic Mass, Pulcinella, La Damnation de Faust, Un Ballo in Maschera, gli Orazi ed i Curiazi (Donizetti), Maria di Rudenz (Donizetti), l’Étoile du Nord (Meyerbeer), Mozart C Minor Mass, Schubert Mass in C, Orfeo ed Euridice (Haydn), Ercole Amante (Cavalli) and Caractacus (Elgar).

Malcolm was introduced to the Alexander Technique by his singing teacher, Otakar Kraus, who had studied with Alexander himself. Not only did he discover its benefits for singing, but a long-term back problem was resolved at the same time. Later, in Brussels, he studied with Elizabeth Langford, originally a successful professional violinist, former chairman of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT), and pioneer of the use of the Alexander Technique in music education. He subsequently trained and qualified in her teacher-training school, obtaining his diploma in 1994. Since then he has used this invaluable tool for the benefit of his singing students.

Since 1996 Malcolm has taught full-time and now lives and works privately in Paris, teaching both singing and Alexander Technique. He also gives master classes and courses throughout Europe.