JamesAtkinson

British baritone James Atkinson is a graduate of the Royal College of Music Opera Studio, where he studied with Alison Wells. He is a BBC New Generation Artist (2023-2025) in conjunction with BBC Radio 3.

Already a distinguished Mozartian, he made his professional debut singing the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni for Welsh National Opera, returning in 2024 for Guglielmo Cosi fan tutte. He covered the role of Papageno for the Glyndebourne Festival and in the 2024/25 season will add the role of Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro to his repertoire with the Mozartists and Ian Page in London and Sicily.

Last season he sang Orest in Elektra with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Jonathan Nott, Belcore in L'elisir d'amore for Wild Arts and Steuermann Tristan und Isolde for Luxembourg Opera. He also made his Edinburgh International Festival debut in St Matthew Passion with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ryan Wigglesworth.

In concert, he sings Handel's Messiah with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and John Butt, Schubert orchestrated songs with the Luxembourg Philharmonic and Nicolas Ellis, Brahms German Requiem with Handel and Haydn and Bernard Labadie in Boston, and Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Geneva Musica.

A distinguished recitalist, his appearances include Amsterdam, Klosters Festival, Birmingham, Oxford, London's Wigmore Hall and his BBC Proms debut at Belfast's Ulster Hall.

His many awards include the Royal Over-Seas League Singers' Prize (2022), the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards (2018), the Mozart Competition and the Audience Prize at the Somerset Song Prize (2019).