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In 2006 he sang Gerontius at the Berlin Festival and recorded it with the
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on a CD released for the Elgar
150th anniversary celebrations in 2007. This recording was the Editor’s
Choice in Gramophone magazine: Alan Blyth wrote, “The best modern
Gerontius… Justin Lavender surpasses all recent interpreters.”
Justin’s other recordings include solo CDs with the Bournemouth Symphony
of Mozart, Rossini and Donizetti arias as well as leading roles such as Arturo
in Bellini’s Puritani, Fernand in Donizetti’s La Favorite, Mark in
Smyth’s The Wreckers, Pierre Bezuhov in Prokofiev’s War and Peace,
Schnittke’s Faust Cantata with the Hamburg Symphon and Janáček’s
Otčenáš (The Lord’s Prayer). He appeared in Alan Parker’s
film The Life of David Gale, on general release and DVD.
For eight years Justin wrote a regular column for The Irish Examiner, and he
has contributed articles and book reviews to newspapers and professional journals.
He is a Professor of Vocal Studies at the Royal College of Music, London; Visiting
Tutor at the Birmingham Conservatoire, and Vocal Coach to the men of King’s
College Chapel Choir, Cambridge. He is one of very few western singers
able to sing in mandarin Chinese, and is an Honorary Professor of the Confucius
Institute of North Carolina. As well as giving frequent masterclasses he has
a private teaching practice at his home in Thames Ditton. A founder member
of the Newlands Rowing Club, he rows regularly on the Thames.