John Powell (voice)

John Powell

John Powell is a freelance conductor, singer, teacher and adjudicator based in Manchester. A graduate of Cambridge University, he has taught at Chetham’s, Bolton School, the National Youth Choir and privately. He currently conducts four choirs, with regular concerts and broadcasts, as well as training groups for special events (e.g. a recent Belshazzar’s Feast at the Bridgewater Hall) and leading workshops. As a teacher and conductor he encourages singers to use their voices with maximum confidence and freedom.

A former member of the BBC Northern Singers, John works as a solo singer and in ensembles and is currently particularly active in recitals. He has twice sung in the prestigious Manchester MidDay Concerts series, on each occasion giving first performances of new works. His repertoire is wide-ranging, from Monteverdi to the present day, and includes several rarities like Nielsen's Third Symphony which he recently sang at St. John's, Smith Square, and Michael Ball's Pageant, of which he gave the London premiere at the Royal Festival Hall. John has a strong commitment to contemporary music and has been involved (both as singer and conductor) in numerous commissions. He also greatly enjoys exploring more unusual works: recent performances include the title roles in Dyson's Nebuchadnezzar and Elgar's Caractacus.