Jonathan Gunthorpe read English and Russian at Leeds University, gained an MA in music at the Birmingham Conservatoire and furthered his studies at the Royal College of Music, where his roles included Mr Coyle / Owen Wingrave and Figaro / Le nozze di Figaro. He completed his studies at the National Opera Studio. He made his Royal Opera début as Angelotti and has since returned as Nachtigall / Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Other engagements have included Danca?re / Carmen with Welsh National Opera, Papageno / The Magic Flute with English Touring Opera, in addition to leading roles in the world premieres of The Cricket Recovers by Richard Ayres and Thwaite by Jurgen Simpson with Aldeburgh / Almeida Opera and The Gentle Giant by Stephen McNeff for ROH2. Further engagements have included Arsenio / La Spinalba with the Casa da Musica, Porto, Pilgrim / Curlew River with Opera de Rouen, Mr Noye / Noye’s Fludde at the Internationales Kammermusik Festival, Nuremberg, Junius / The Rape of Lucretia for The Other Theatre Company, Basilio / L’amore industrioso for Opera Holland Park, Timagene / Poro for Antahkarana, Guglielmo / Così fan tutte, Alidoro / La Cenerentola and Taddeo / L’Italiana in Algeri at the Mananan Opera Festival, Papageno for Belle Ile sur Mer, Aeneas / Dido and Aeneas for Ex Cathedra, Sharpless / Madam Butterfly for London City Opera, Albany / Vision of Lear (UK premiere) at the Linbury Studio Theatre and Faber / The Knot Garden at the Montepulciano Festival.

Concert engagements have included Dancaire / Carmen with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sakari Oramo, Polyphemus / Acis and Galatea for the Gabrieli Consort under Paul McCreesh, Messiah with The Sixteen under Harry Christophers, Manoah / Samson for the Konzertchor Darmstadt, Mozart’s Grabmusik for the Classical Opera Company, the Mozart Requiem with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields under John Nelson. He has appeared at the BBC Proms with Ex Cathedra and at the Bath, Cheltenham, Lufthansa, Oslo, Perth and Turku Festivals. In recital he works with Julius Drake and Malcolm Martineau. with whom he has also performed Winterreise at St John’s, Smith Square as part of the complete Schubert cycles day. He made his Wigmore Hall debut with the Brahms Liebeslieder and has also performed with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players, the Northern Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players. He has broadcast for BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night and his recordings further include Music for the Sun King (Motets by Lalande) for Hyperion and Paul Spicer’s Easter Oratorio with the Britten Sinfonia, a recording that was a GRAMOPHONE CD of the Month.

His current engagements include The English Clerk / Death in Venice for English National Opera and at La Monnaie, Brussels, Priest of Minerva / Teseo and Nanni / L’infedelta delusa for English Touring Opera, Brahms Requiem at Lincoln Cathedral, Fauré Requiem at the University of Plymouth, Messiah with the Apollo Chamber Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Oxford Philomusica, Shostakovich Symphony No. 14 with the City of London Sinfonia, The Dream of Gerontius at the Southampton Guildhall, Mozart Mass in C Minor at the Parco di Musica, Rome, and a recording of Brahms Liebeslieder with Sarah Fox, Christine Rice, Timothy Robinson and Malcolm Martineau.

“In this, the soprano Emma Kirkby and the baritone Jonathan Gunthorpe were eloquently expressive.”
Bach: Cantata No. 21 / Chantry Singers, Bath / The Guardian

“The baritone Jonathan Gunthorpe (Don Giovanni) has beautifully focused, polished-mahogany tone and natural command of the stage.”
Don Giovanni / National Opera Studio Showcase / The Times

“Jonathan Gunthorpe’s Junius impressed, the voice big and dark, shaping the words with a touching simplicity.”
Junius: The Rape of Lucretia / The Other Theatre Company / The Stage

“...exceptionally well sung by Jonathan Gunthorpe...”
Timagene: Poro / Antahkarana / Opera

“Jonathan Gunthorpe sang Figaro in a full-bodied baritone.”
Figaro: Le nozze di Figaro / Royal London Schools Opera / Opera

“The undoubted star of the production was the Sharpless, Jonathan Gunthorpe...he is clearly a baritone to watch”
Sharpless: Madam Butterfly / London City Opera / MusicWeb