menu

AIR

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

We created the AIR Program to recognize young music professionals who promise to be leaders of creative thinking and innovation, and who are outstanding masters of their craft.

Amid wider devastation, the pandemic has hit creatives hard. Particularly young music-makers and visual artists are suffering. But at the same time, many of us seek comfort and find solace in what they create. There is such great talent in the world. We need to help so they can come up for some AIR!

Once a year, we will introduce you to a new AIR artist. Look out and breathe in!

MEET OUR LATEST BERGOS AIR ARTIST

Apply now*air*2025*

Hugh Cutting

About the Artist

Hugh Cutting is a renowned countertenor, initially trained at St John’s College, Cambridge, and later at the Royal College of Music. He has received prestigious awards, including the Tagore Gold Medal from King Charles III. In 2021, he made history by becoming the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award and was named a BBC New Generation Artist (2022-24).

His opera performances include roles at Opernhaus Zürich and the RCM International Opera Studio, and he is set to debut at Teatro alla Scala. On the concert stage, Hugh has appeared at Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall, collaborating with esteemed ensembles. He has recorded significant works, showcasing his exceptional talent as a countertenor.

Hugh is dedicated to expanding the countertenor repertoire and frequently performs in recitals and concerts, often collaborating with notable musicians.

Schemes like Bergos AIR which encourage and foster innovation in the arts are so important as they give freedom and resource to individual thought and expression. I love the human-ness of music, that it comes from people living in a particular context and environment. With this in mind, I want to use this Residency to both celebrate ancient and modern vocal repertoire whilst focusing on the fusion of musical styles and languages for a modern audience. As a society, we’ve never been more able to see who and what came before us in history, and this string through time is a fascinating prism through which we can witness how the same thoughts on life, love, death and much more have been articulated across the centuries by composers and writers who are centuries and worlds apart. I’m a nerd, and I think that’s really intriguing!

Music is a means of connecting us by somehow articulating what it is to be human. The AIR scheme supports this ambition, allowing me to commission new compositions from top composers, create interdisciplinary art and performance programmes with artists from other mediums (dancers, artists), and ultimately to produce musical experiences that touch and (perhaps?) change those who witness them. I can’t wait to get started, and I’m extremely humbled and grateful for this opportunity!

LISTEN TO:

Heinrich Schütz – Auf dem Gebirge/ Fretwork, Iestyn Davies & Hug Cutting

Hugh Cutting – Arsace

Handel, ” Non m’accusate…Fra le stragi” from Alessandro

Gallery

Connect with the artist

Follow artist on social media for more stories, concert dates and musical releases.

Other AIR Artists