| Biography | John Connell studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Patrick Mcguigan and then received both the Peter Stuyvesant and Askew awards for young singers, enabling him to continue his studies at the National Opera Studio.
He made his debut at the Engish National opera as Ramphis in Aida and the following season joined the English National Opera as principal bass. He sang regularly with the English National Opera as a guest artist and his roles at the ENO have included the Commendatore in a new production of Don Giovanni, Colline (La Boheme), The Monk (Don Carlos), The First Voice in Busoni's Doktor Faust, Ferrando (Il Trovatore), Leporello (The Stone Guest), The Old Convict (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), Basilio in the new production of The Barber of Seville, Dansker in the new production of Billy Budd, Banquo in the new production of Macbeth, Pogner (Die Meistersinger) and Sarastro (The Magic Flute).
He also sang Basilio and Colline for opera North, taken part in a concert performance of Boris Godunov singing Pimen and appeared at the Windsor Festival in a concert performance of Fidelio. He appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden singing The Monk in Don Carlos and Sparafucile and in new productions of Pelléas et Mélisande and Peter Grimes and Verdi's Requiem with Sir Edward Downes.
Recordings include Gremin (Eugene Onegin) and Szymanowski's Stabat Mater for EMI and Swallow with Richard Hickox for Chandos. He died in April 2007. |