Gareth Brynmor John

Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award, baritone Gareth Brynmor John studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music where, in his final year, he won the Royal Academy of Music Patrons’ Award. He then studied at the National Opera Studio where he was supported by the Royal Opera House, Richard Carne Trust and Chris Ball and highlights included singing the title role in Don Giovanni as well as being involved in 'Opera Scenes' directed by Graham Vick. 

With the Royal Academy Opera, his roles included Eugene Onegin, Claudio (Béatrice et Bénédict) under Sir Colin Davis, The Ferryman (Curlew River), Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), and Sir Thomas Bertram (Mansfield Park, Jonathan Dove). Other roles include Papageno (The Magic Flute), Sid (Albert Herring), Theseus (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Shadwell Opera, Il Conte (Le nozze di Figaro) for the Amersham Festival, Gendarme (Les Mamelles de Tirésias), and Hymen and Sleep (Fairy Queen). He created Carl in Gervasoni’s 'Limbus Limbo' which premièred at the Strasbourg Festival Musica.

After leaving the National Opera Studio he performed Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) for Bury Court Opera and at the Anghiari Festival in Tuscany, and Pallante (Agrippina) for Iford Arts Opera. With English Touring Opera, he sang Edoardo in Donizetti’s The Siege of Calais, and also understudied Marcello (La bohème).  He understudied Silvio (I Pagliacci), Cecil (Maria Stuarda), Roderick (Usher House) and Man/Ephraimite (Moses und Aron) for Welsh National Opera before making his house début in Spring 2017 singing Schaunard (La Bohème).  He returned in 2017/18 to cover and sing the title role in Eugene Onegin as well as singing Masetto (Don Giovanni) and also covered the role of Andrei in War and Peace.  Other recent and future engagements include Papageno, Sharpless, Masetto / Don Giovanni and Robert / Les Vepres Sicilliennes for Welsh National Opera, Ishmeron / The Indian Queen for Opéra de Lille, Opera de Caen, Opera de Luxembourg and Antwerp Opera as well as the bass role in Lucio Papirio Dittatore by Caldara at the Buxton Festival.

Gareth has performed extensively on the concert platform with a number of the UK’s leading orchestras and ensembles including The Philharmonia, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players. Highlights have included Elijah with the Really Big Chorus at Birmingham Town Hall; Carmina Burana with the Bach Choir at the Royal Festival Hall and with Hertfordshire Chorus at the Barbican; Handel Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall;  Fauré Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall, Dream of Gerontius with the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus; Bach St Matthew and St John Passions; Handel Judas Maccabeus, Israel in Egypt and Alexander’s Feast; Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony; Rachmaninov The Bells; and Britten’s War Requiem at Guildford and Chichester Cathedrals. Recent and future events include the Sea Symphony at Salisbury Cathedral, Israel in Egypt at the Saffron Walden Concert Hall, Carmina Burana at York Minster, Brahms Requiem with the Ulster Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Belshazzar’s Feast at Guildford Cathedral, Faure Requiem and the St Matthew Passion at the Festival Hall with the Bach Choir, Stanford Mass Via Victrix with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, The Kingdom and Claudio / Béatrice et Bénédict with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozart Requiem with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Britten War Requiem with the Cambridge University Music Society, Five Mystical Songs with the Aalborg Symphoniker as well as recitals in the London Song Festival, the Leith Hill Music Festival, the English Music Festival, the Ludlow Festival of Song, Oxford Lieder and on a tour of Norway as well as recitals with Roderick Williams as part of the Momentum Artists project.

Gareth is part of the Songsmiths, and regularly sings in the London English Song Festival. He has also given recitals at St John’s Smith Square, Wigmore Hall, Barber Institute, King’s Place, King’s Lynn Festival, North Norfolk Music Festival, Haddo Festival, Buxton Festival, Ryedale Festival and Leeds Lieder. His recording of Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden gesellen with Trevor Pinnock is available on Linn Records. His recent recording of  Stanford’s Children’s songs for the Somm label has received wide critical acclaim as well as his solo recording for the Champs Hill label.