NICOLA LISLE talks to the charismatic young tenor Mark Padmore ahead of his appearance at the Sheldonian Theatre

If things had worked out differently, Mark Padmore could now be a clarinettist instead of a world-renowned tenor. After taking up the instrument when he was eight, his musical education was largely dominated by clarinet and piano lessons. He won a scholarship to the Kent Junior Music School at the age of 12, and went on to play with the Kent County Youth Orchestra - an experience he describes as "a wonderful opportunity to make music at the highest level".

But he also enjoyed singing in his local church choir, and at 18 realised that singing was what he really wanted to do.

He said: "I decided I didn't want to go to music college and just be one of the clarinet players there, struggling to make it. Somebody suggested going for a choral scholarship, and that really set my sights on singing.

"As far as turning professional was concerned, it was a natural progression, but a very slow one. I was at King's College, Cambridge, and when I left I didn't really have a strong solo voice. So I sang in professional choirs for the next ten years. It was only in the 90s that I developed more of a solo career."

Mark's professional choir experience included singing with prestigious groups such as The Sixteen, the Tallis Scholars and the Hilliard Ensemble. It gave him experience in a wide repertoire, from early to contemporary, and included opportunities for making recordings and travelling to festivals in Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence.

His big break came when William Christie, the conductor of French group Les Arts Florissant, was looking to cast someone in the high tenor role of Hippolyte, in a student production of Rameau's opera of the same name. Mark successfully auditioned for the role, and spent the next six years singing lead roles with the group.

"That got me established. It was quite useful because it was abroad, so it meant I wasn't trying to change from being a choral singer to a solo singer with people who already knew me as a choral singer. I was in France, away from the limelight. When I came back to England my credentials were rather better and I felt more confident as a solo singer."

Mark generously acknowledges the influence of other great tenors, such as Philip Langridge and Anthony Rolfe Johnson, both of whom he admires greatly.

"Philip has always been a bit of a model for me. He's somebody who sings with huge intelligence and understanding of the text. In opera he is fantastic, a natural actor. His portrayal of someone like Peter Grimes is very powerful. Anthony was also an influence on me. He has a really beautiful sound."

Another early influence in Mark's career was Phillippe Herreweghe, conductor of the Collegium Vocale. It was from him that Mark developed his passion for thorough exploration and accurate interpretation of text, and for communicating with his audiences in a meaningful way.

"I have a bit of a problem with classical music, in that too often performers are not really working hard enough to present the music in the best possible way. Sometimes they get sidetracked by trying to make things popular, and actually what we really need to do is make them extremely good. If the standard of performing is exceptional, then the public will come to it.

"I think what happens too often is that there is the idea that we can rehearse great works in a short time. So you get the St Matthew Passion done by the Bach Choir up in London on practically one rehearsal. I think that's a bit of a disgrace, that one of the main performances of such a work of genius should be done without properly investigating what the piece is all about. I think we need to engage the audience, not in a way that's just entertaining, but in a way that makes them think."

Mark will be hoping to engage Oxford audiences at the Sheldonian later this month when he performs Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horns and Strings, with horn player David Pyatt and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Vassily Sinaisky. It is a piece he particularly enjoys performing. He added: "Tenors are hugely indebted to Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears for the repertoire that they left. This is one of the early pieces that Britten wrote for Pears, and it's a work of genius. It's wonderfully atmospheric writing, and really good fun to do."

Mark Padmore is appearing in concert at the Sheldonian Theatre on Friday, March 16, at 8pm, as part of the Music at Oxford season. He will also be giving a free pre-concert talk with David Pyatt at 6.15pm. Other items in the programme include Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture, Mozart's Horn Concerto No.3 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 8.

For tickets, call 0870 7500659 or visit www.musicatoxford.com. For more information about Mark Padmore, visit his website www.markpadmore.com