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John Brecknock

1937 – 2017

English operatic tenor

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About John Brecknock

Lived 1937 – 2017 (aged 79–80). John Brecknock was an opera singer and singer.

John Leighton Brecknock (29 November 1937 – 30 May 2017) was an English operatic tenor. He was born at Long Eaton, Derbyshire, joined the chorus of Sadler's Wells Opera in 1967 and graduated to small solo roles.

Among Brecknock's Mozart roles were a priest and an armed man in The Magic Flute, Ferrando in Così fan tutte and Belmonte in The Seraglio. In the Italian repertoire, his roles included Alfredo in La traviata, the Count in The Barber of Seville, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and the title role in Count Ory. Among his roles in French operas were the title role in Werther, Iopas in Les Troyens, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Des Grieux in Manon and Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict.

Brecknock's repertoire included several opéras comiques and operettas. His Offenbach roles included the title characters in Bluebeard and Robinson Crusoe, Paris in La belle Hélène, and Pluto in Orpheus in the Underworld. In Gilbert and Sullivan he sang the Defendant in Trial by Jury, and Tolloller in Iolanthe.

In less-frequently performed operas Brecknock's roles included the Page in Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea, Jupiter in Handel's Semele, and Adriano in Meyerbeer's Il crociato in Egitto.

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Important facts

Born
1937, Long Eaton
Birth century
Also known as
John Leighton Brecknock

People in John Brecknock's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Brecknock's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Brecknock?

English operatic tenor

When was John Brecknock born?

John Brecknock was born in 1937 in Long Eaton.

When did John Brecknock die?

John Brecknock died on 30 May 2017 in Benissa.

What was John Brecknock's occupation?

John Brecknock was an opera singer and singer.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Brecknock

· Wikidata: Q55996349

· DBpedia: John Brecknock

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Brecknock. https://biography.guide/john-brecknock/

MLA: "John Brecknock." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-brecknock/.

Chicago: "John Brecknock." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-brecknock/.

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