Jonathan May is recognised as one of Britain’s leading bass-baritones. He is
regularly engaged by the Royal Opera Covent Garden and the Welsh National
Opera, and frequently performs with a number of prominent French
companies.
Jonathan May trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the
Britten-Pears School and the National Opera Studio, where he was the Royal
Opera Scholar.
For the Royal Opera House, he has sung roles in Rossini’s Il Barbieri di
Siviglia, Beethoven’s Fidelio, Puccini’s Madama Butterly, Strauss’ Elektra (Old
Servant); Thomas’ Hamlet (Polonius); La Forza del Destino (Alcalde); and La
Rondine (Perichaud).
With Welsh National Opera, he has sung Flemmish Deputy and King Phillip
(Don Carlos), Kochubei and Orlik (Mazeppa), Commedatore (Don Giovanni)
and Monterone (Rigoletto), as well as principal roles in Bizet’s Carmen,
Britten’s Billy Budd, Janacek’s From the House of the Dead, Verdi’s Un Ballo
in Maschera and Rigoletto, and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Parsifal.
With Scottish Opera, he has sung principal roles in Beamish’s Monster
(Coleridge), Bizet’s Carmen (Zuniga), Janacek’s From the House of the Dead,
and Puccini’s Tosca (Angelotti) and Madama Butterfly (Bonze and Sharpless).
For English Touring Opera, Jonathan May has sung Dulcimara in Donizetti’s
L’Elisir d’Amore, Colline in Puccini’s La Bohème and Papageno in Mozart’s
Die Zauberflöte; with the Garsington Festival, Peneios in Richard Strauss’
Daphne; and with Mid Wales Opera, Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.
Jonathan May made his French debut in February 2003 as Traveller in
Britten’s Curlew River, a role that he reprised in 2005. Further international
engagements include three principal roles in Osbourne’s Electrification of the
Soviet Union for Opera Vest (Norway), Judge/Duke/Hotel Manager (Powder
Her Face) at Opéra Théâtre de Metz and Somnus and Cadmus Semele in
Paris under the baton of David Stern.
Recent engagements include Traveller (Curlew River) in New York and the
Bonze with Opera North.
JONATHAN MAY
Vocal Category: Bass-Baritone
Representation: General Mngmt
Semele/NIght and Day Records
Jonathan May en Cadmus et Somnus, l'une
des plus belles basses baroques du moment
Classica-Repertoire
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Career Highlights
Polonius: Covent Garden
King Phillip: Welsh National Opera
Kochubei: Welsh National Opera
Alcalde (Forza): Covent Garden
Traveller (Curlew River): Opera Rouen
Bonze: Opera North/Scottish Opera
Dulcamara: English Touring Opera
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