Mezzos

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 has performed with a number of prominent international 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).

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 the Doctor in Birwhistle’s Punch and Judy at the Grand Theatre de Geneve, 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.

Semele / Night and Day Records

Jonathan May as
Somnus and Cadmus.
One of today's
most beautiful baroque
bass voices.

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