Jonathan Brown (Baritone)

Born: Toronto, Canada

The Canadian baritone, Jonathan Brown, has studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto), the University of Western Ontario and the University of Cambridge, England and more recently the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh with Sir Thomas Allen and Anthony Rolfe-Johnson. He now lives in London where he studies privately with Nicholas Powell.

Jonathan Brown made his debut with Sir John Eliot Gardiner in Holland (Naarden) in 2000 as the baritone soloist in a concert of Bach cantatas and thereafter was a regular soloist with performances in Zürich, Brussels and Paris. Recent concert work has included a tour of St Matthew Passion (BWV 244) (arias) across Europe (Spain, Andorra, Germany and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the South Bank) and Bach’s Magnificat (BWV 243) both conducted by Sir Roger Norrington, St John Passion (BWV 245) in Cambridge and Oxford, Saul in King’s College, Cambridge, Nelson Mass in Canterbury Cathedral, Johannes Brahms Requiem and Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle.

Operatic roles include Count Almaviva, Don Giovanni, Silvio (I Pagliacci), Malatesta (Don Pasquale), Masetto (Don Giovanni), Shepherd (Venus and Adonis), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas). His recent recital repertoire is varied and includes Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch, which he performed extensively in 2000 & 2001. Future Engagements include Il Conte for Eastern Opera and Apollo & Daphne (George Frideric Handel).

He has worked regularly with Philippe Herreweghe, touring South America (Christus in J.S. Bach’s St John Passion (BWV 245)) and has also recorded the baritone solos in Purcell’s Ode to St Cecilia for Harmonia Mundi. He featured as a soloist on the Harmonia Mundi recordings of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Blow’s Venus and Adonis under the direction of René Jacobs. He has recorded the baritone solos in the Fauré Requiem with the London Festival Orchestra for BMG and recently recorded the role of the Forester in Sullivan’s The Golden Legend for Hyperion.

Source: Chamelon Arts Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2006)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Michael Brewer

Bass

BWV 244 [sung in English]

John Eliot Gardiner

Bass

BCP: BWV 21, BWV 33, BWV 77, BWV 92, BWV 135, BWV 164

Links to other Sites

Jonathan Brown - Baritone (Chamelon Arts)