Geoff Sewell

New Zealand-born tenor Geoff Sewell became an international classical crossover star in the so-called "opera band" Amici Forever before leaving the singing group in 2006 and embarking upon a solo career. Though born in New Zealand, Sewell relocated to London, England, in 1997 after completing his studies at the Boston Conservatory of Music in the United States. After arriving in London, he performed on the West End and got into the music business with his wife, first founding the group Tenors Incognito and then other variations of the group before ultimately founding the classical crossover group Amici Forever in 2002. With clear mainstream-crossover ambitions, the original lineup — comprised of two tenors (Sewell, David Habbin), a baritone-bass (Nick Garrett), and two soprano singers (Jo Appleby, Tsakane Valentine) — made its recording debut in 2004 with The Opera Band, an internationally popular album. A follow-up album, Defined (2005), was released shortly thereafter and also proved internationally popular. Despite the commercial success and international fame of Amici Forever, Sewell left the group suddenly after his daughter Sienna was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He sidelined his music career for a couple years before releasing his solo album debut, Believe, produced by Nick Patrick, in 2008. With his return to the spotlight, Sewell made a crusade of autism awareness; for instance, he released Believe on the date of his daughter's fifth birthday.