John Mark Ainsley

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John Mark Ainsley (born July 9, 1963) is an English tenor.

Born in Crewe, Cheshire, he was educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester and Magdalen College, Oxford. Whilst at Oxford he studied music under Anthony Rolfe Johnson, and has subsequently performed all around the world. He has made numerous recordings, one of which won a Grammy in 1995 for best operatic performance (for a recording of Don Giovanni). He regularly appears on radio and in the BBC Proms. Amongst other operatic performances and recorings are Rameau's Dardanus and Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (he is generally regarded as the world authority on this character's role).

He specialises particularly in Handel's music and has recorded over ten of his oratorios including Jephtha, La Resurrezione, Messiah, Joshua and Saul. More modern music he specialises in are German Lieder (by Schumann and Beethoven) and English Folk and French songs (Vaughan Williams, Peter Warlock and Fauré).

In 2007 he entered into a civil partnership with William Whitehead.

[edit] References

• AINSLEY, John Mark International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.