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The English tenor, John Leslie Mitchinson, studied at the Education: Royal Manchester College of Music; ARMCM; FRMCM. He studied singing with Frederick Cox, Heddle Nash and Boriska Gereb.
John Mitchinson made his debut in TV Series with Eric Robinson (Music For You), and his stage singing debut as Jupiter in George Frideric Handel's Semele at Sadler's Wells Theatre in 1959. From 1972 to 1978, he was associated with the Sadler's Wells opera company; during that time, he created the role of the Poet in Joseph Tal's opera Massada 967. In 1978 he joined the Welsh National Opera (WNO), with whom he worked for four years. He made many Radio, TV, concert and opera appearances worldwide, with the English National Opera (ENO), Scottish Opera, Basle Opera, Prague Opera, amomg others, and at most of the world's music festivals.
John Mitchinson was able to sing a variety of roles; he was perhaps most notable for his portrayals of Peter Grimes and Tristan. His roles include: Idomeneo, Aegisthus, Luca (House of The Dead), Manolios (Greek Passion); Dalibor, Florestan, Siegmund; Sang Svatopluk Cech in the first British production of Janácek's The Excursions of Mr Broucek, (ENO, 1978); Wagner's Tristan, L.v. Beethoven's Florestan and Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes for Welsh National Opera; Opera North and Buxton Festival, 1983 as Max in Der Freischutz and Gualtiero in Antonio Vivaldi's Griselda. He is also remembered for having sung the title role of Wagner's Rienzi in a 1976 BBC broadcast of one of the rare performances (possibly the only performance) in recent history of the complete opera; a recording of this broadcast survives and has circulated.
Recordings: Gustav Mahler’s 8th Symphony with Leonard Bernstein; G. Mahler’s 8th Symphony with Wyn Morris; G. Mahler’s Lied von der Erde with Sir Alexander Gibson; Béatrice et Bénedict (Berlioz) with Sir Colin Davis; Lelio (Berlioz) with Pierre Boulez; Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) with Reginald Goodall; Glagolitic Mass (Janacek) Simon Rattle; The Greek Passion (Martinu) with Charles Mackerras; Dream of Gerontius (Edward Elgar) with Simon Rattle.
Honours: Queens Prize and Royal Philharmonic Kathleen Ferrier Prize 1956-1957; Curtis Gold Medal (RMCM) 1953; Ricordi Opera Prize 1952. John Mitchinson married the mezzo-soprano Maureen Guy on May 8, 1958; they have 2 sons. Hobbies: Cooking; Boats. |
