April Cantelo
English soprano April Cantelo was born on 2 April 1928 in Purbrook, Hampshire and studied at the National Opera Studio in London with teachers including Joan Cross, Imogen Holst and Vilém Tauský.
She began her career in the Glyndebourne Chorus (1948-50), making her debut as a soloist with Glyndebourne Opera at the Edinburgh Festival as Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos on 21 August 1950, closely followed by Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro the following day. Within a few years she was appearing at Aldeburgh and Covent Garden.
She created a series of roles in twentieth century opera, such as Susan in Lennox Berkeley's Dinner Engagement, Helena in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and various roles in the operas of Malcolm Williamson including a series of roles in English Eccentrics - Miss Beswick, Mrs Dards, Miss Tylney Long, Sarah Whitehead, The Duchess of Devonshire, Princess Caraboo and First Nun. She appeared in the first British performances of Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (as Jenny) and Hans Werner Henze's Boulevard Solitude (as Manon Lescaut).
She had a huge repertoire and recorded a wide range of music from different periods on various labels, including the popular Vanguard LP The Holly and the Ivy with Alfred Deller and the Deller Consort.
She appeared at various Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in London during the period 1958-73, sang in the Purcell Room's 3 March 1967 inaugural concert with Raymond Leppard, Bernard Richards and Robert Tear, and took part in two Hoffnung Festival spoofs composed and conducted by Joseph Horovitz - Metamorphosis on a Bed-time Theme (1958) and (as Dracula's daughter) in Horrortorio (1961).
In the 1970s she sang in various of Malcolm Williamson's operas in Australia and was a visiting lecturer at Canterbury University in New Zealand where, in 1972, she directed Purcell's semi-opera The Fairy-Queen. She was a popular teacher and vocal coach.
In 1974 she sang Xantippe in Telemann's comic opera Der geduldige Socrates for Kent Opera - the first professional production in the UK.
April Cantelo died in Oxfordshire on 16 July 2024, aged ninety-six.
A selection of articles about April Cantelo
Classical music news - July 2024 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
CD Spotlight. Many Riches - The Deller Consort performs Purcell, recommended by George Balcombe. 'Alfred Deller is fantastic ...'