James Newby - Biography

British baritone James Newby is a former BBC New Generation Artist (2018-21) and Rising Star of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. As well as a 2022 BBT Award winner, he was an ECHO Rising Star (2022/23) with appearances at major concert halls throughout Europe.

A member of the Ensemble of the Staatsoper Hannover from 2019 to 2022 he received particular praise for his debut as Eddie in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Greek as well as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and the title role in Eugene Onegin.

He has since appeared at Opéra National du Rhin, Theater an der Wien, returns in the current season to Hannover as Onegin and makes his Garsington Opera debut as Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Future seasons also see debuts for Opéra de Lausanne and Oslo Opera and Opera North.

He was a notable Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the 2022 BBC Proms and regularly appears as a recitalist at Wigmore Hall as well as Leeds, Oxford International Song and Cheltenham festivals. He has also sung with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort, La Nuova Musica, Arcangelo, Britten Sinfonia, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

His 2020 debut solo album I Wonder as I Wander (BIS) with pianist Joseph Middleton met with worldwide acclaim and was awarded the Diapason d’Or Découverte.

James studies with Robert Dean.

He participated in BBT’s 20th-anniversary celebrations at London’s Wigmore Hall in June 2023.

I was so blown away to be awarded such a prestigious prize and join such a distinguished set of musicians. I’ve already received so much fantastic support and benefitted greatly from the knowledge within the BBT, I’m so excited to see how it can develop over the next few years.

Photographs by Simon Weir and Gerard Collett