Ben Johnson

Acclaimed tenor Ben Johnson represented England in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 and won the Audience Prize. Johnson is a former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist, 2008 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award, 2011 Wigmore Hall Emerging Talent, and a 2013-2015 English National Opera Harewood Artist. 

Highlights of the 2018/19 season included performances as Tamino Die Zauberflöte with Welsh National Opera and as Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with The Grange Festival, in addition to a new production of Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace with Scottish Opera. Equally active on the concert platform, Johnson recently performed Händel’s Messiah with La Nuova Musica, and Bach’s St John Passion with the Oxford Bach Soloists.

Current releases include Szymanowski's Love Songs of Hafiz and Symphony No.3 with Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra for Chandos, a recording of sonnet settings with Graham Johnson for Champs Hill and a collection of Victorian English songs with James Baillieu for Rosenblatt Recitals, recently released by Opus Arte.

Recent operatic highlights include Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus and Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, both for Opera Holland Park, a celebrated run as Alfredo La traviata in a new production, and subsequent revival, by Peter Konwitschny, Tamino in a new production of The Magic Flute by Simon McBurney, and Nemorino The Elixir of Love, all for ENO; Don Ottavio for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, ENO and Opéra National de Bordeaux, Lysander in Britten a A Midsummer Night's Dream for Bergen National Opera, Oronte Alcina in a concert tour with The English Concert, Bénédict Béatrice et Bénédict for Chelsea Opera Group, Novice in Michael Grandage's production of Billy Budd at Glyndebourne, Copland's The Tender Land at Opéra de Lyon and productions for Scottish Opera and the Classical Opera Company.

Upcoming engagements include a Monteverdi Gala Concert at the Wigmore Hall, a recital at the Musée D’Orsay and performances of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia with the Salzburg Camerata at de Doelen in The Netherlands. He returns to Grange Festival as Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and then embarks on a tour of South East Asia as Camille in Lehár’s The Merry Widow. 

In addition to a busy performing schedule, Johnson will also be recording a selection of Sullivan Songs with Sarah Connolly for Chandos Records.