Jennifer Johnston

Born in Liverpool, Jennifer Johnston read Law at Cambridge University and practiced as a Barrister, before graduating from the Royal College of Music’s Opera Course with Distinction. She was a member of both the National Opera Studio, where she was sponsored by Opera North, and the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme, and she continues to study with Lillian Watson. Named by the Financial Times as the Face to Watch in Opera 2007, she is the recipient of numerous awards, including in 2005 the inaugural Susan Chilcott Scholarship, a Wingate Scholarship, and Second Prize in the Montserrat Caballé International Singing Competition.

During the summer of 2006, Jennifer made her debuts at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (Title role/Dido and Aeneas) and the Salzburg Festival (Carmi/La Betulia Liberata, released on DVD by Deutsche Grammophon), and she has a close relationship with Scottish Opera for whom she has sung Suzuki in 'Madame Butterfly', Irene in 'Tamerlano', Mercedes in 'Carmen' and Hansel in 'Hansel and Gretel'. Other operatic engagements have included Giovanna Seymour in 'Anna Bolena' for the Tower of London Festival, and Mrs Herring in 'Albert Herring' for Aldeburgh Productions. She has sung with leading orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philhamonia, Die Akademie für Alte Musik, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the London Handel Orchestra and the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, under conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Christoph Poppen, Libor Pesek, Kenneth Weiss, Laurence Cummings, Andrew Parrott, Hervé Niquet and Sir David Willcocks.

Recent concert and recital engagements include Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with Leonard Slatkin and the RPO, Handel’s Messiah at the Berlin Philharmonie broadcast live across Germany on New Year’s Day, Verdi’s Requiem in Canterbury Cathedral, Handel’s Messiah and Mahler’s Second Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall, and her American concert and recital debuts in Florida. Jennifer made her UK television debut in the BBC documentary ‘Castrato’ and is a founding member of the Prince Consort, with whom she recently appeared at the Purcell Room. Her recordings include Mozart Opera A to Z with the Classical Opera Company (Sony BMG) and Walford Davies’ Everyman (Dutton). In 2007 she will sing Paquette in 'Candide' in the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Festival and also Sorceress in 'Dido and Aeneas' for the Festival. In 2008 she will sing the title role in 'Dido and Aeneas' for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence both in Aix and Lille.