Born: 1946 - England

The English tenor, John Elwes, began his musical career at Westminster Cathedral in London where he was Head Chorister. Under the name John Hahessy, he had considerable success as a boy soprano - from BBC broadcasts and recordings, to concerts with conductors such as Benjamin Britten, who dedicated his Corpus Christi Carol to him. At the age of 14 he sang the part of Isaac in the world premiere recording of Britten's canticle Abraham and Isaac with the composer and Peter Pears.

John Elwes has a busy concert and operatic life, mostly in Europe, performing with conductors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Roger Norrington, Joshua Rifkin, and Christopher Hogwood. He has participated in more than 100 recordings. Notable among these are Dowland's First Book of Ayres, Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, Purcell’s The Tempest with John Eliot Gardiner, Bach's Saint Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and B-Minor Mass (BWV 232) with Gustav Leonhardt, Arthur Honegger's Le Roi David with Michel Corboz, and Händel's Messiah with Masaaki Suzuki.

Source: The Folger Library, Washington, D.C., practically verbatim
Contributed by Galina Kolomietz (February 2001) Website & Aryeh Oron (October 2004)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Michel Corboz

Tenor

BWV 78, BWV 198, BWV 233-BWV 236, BWV 237-BWV 242

Joachim Carlos Martini

Tenor

BWV 232

Gustav Leonhardt

Tenor

BWV 195, BWV 198, BWV 201, BWV 208, BWV 215, BWV 232, BWV 244

Joshua Rifkin

Tenor

BWV 12, BWV 172, BWV 182, BWV 182 [radio recording]

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