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 the Netherlands (Naarden) in 2000 as the baritone soloist in a concert of J.S. 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 J.S. 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's Petite Messe Solennelle.

Operatic roles include Count Almaviva, Don Giovanni, Silvio in I Pagliacci, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Masetto in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Shepherd in Venus and Adonis, Aeneas in 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 by 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 Gabriel Fauré’s 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

John Eliot Gardiner

Bass

Member of Monteverdi Choir:
BCP Vol. 2: CD-1: BWV 2, BWV 10, BWV 76; CD-2: BWV 21, BWV 135
BCP Vol. 3: CD-1: BWV 24, BWV 185, BWV 177
BCP Vol. 6: CD-2: BWV 77, BWV 164, BWV 33
BCP Vol. 7: CD-1: BWV 25, BWV 78, BWV 17
BCP Vol. 9: CD-1: BWV 148, BWV 114, BWV 47, BWV 226
BCP Vol. 10: CD-1: BWV 48, BWV 5, BWV 90, BWV 56; CD-2: BWV 79, BWV 192, BWV 80
BCP Vol. 19: CD-1: BWV 155, BWV 3, BWV 13; CD-2: BWV 26, BWV 81, BWV 14, BWV 227
BCP Vol. 20: CD-1: BWV 144, BWV 84, BWV 92
BCP Vol. 21: CD-2: BWV 182, BWV 1
BCP Vol. 23: CD-2: BWV 104, BWV 85, BWV 112
BCP Vol. 25: CD-2: BWV 44, BWV 150, BWV 183, J.C. Bach: Fürchte dich nicht
BCP Purification: BWV 83, BWV 125

Philipp von Steinaecker

Bass

[CV-1] (2016, Video): BWV 147, BWV 243

Links to other Sites

Jonathan Brown - Baritone (Chamelon Arts)