4. Jennifer Johnston: the struggles our industry is facing, the importance of access to music, and getting sacked for being 'too fat'

Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston is one of the UK’s most distinguished singers, particularly celebrated for her interpretations of Mahler, Wagner, Elgar and Britten. She has performed across the globe with some of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors, and is closely associated with the Bayerische Staatsoper (with whom she won Gramophone's Recording of the Year award) and also with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, at which she was formerly Artist in Residence. She was the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer award, and is a former BBC New Generation Artist... yet Jennifer was a barrister in a previous life, before going on to pursue a singing career.

In this episode, Jennifer shares her honest observations of the new classical music landscape (born from a perfect storm of circumstances) and the struggles our industry is facing as a result. She also talks about why music education in schools is so crucial, flies the flag for contemporary music, and recounts the time she was sacked by an opera company for being 'too fat'...

This episode was recorded in July 2023.

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Jennifer's links:

Website

Spotify Artist Page

Instagram

X (formerly Twitter)

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This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel

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Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins

Performed by Daniel Lebhardt

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The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).

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