One of Britain's most popular sopranos,
Judith Howarth has had a durable career, thanks to her large repertory and her mastery of both lyric and dramatic roles in several languages. She is also a significant educator.
Howarth was born in Ipswich, in England's Suffolk region, on September 11, 1962. She studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and later took lessons with Patricia MacMahon.
Howarth appeared in several lead roles as a student, including Mimi in
Puccini's La bohème, and when she finished her studies, she was ready to hit the ground running. At age 21, she joined the cast of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, commuting between London and her husband's residence in Glasgow on alternate weekends. Before she had even made her debut at Covent Garden, she issued her first album, a collection of Mozart arias with the
English Chamber Orchestra, in 1984. Her stage debut came that year in Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg.
Howarth remained at Covent Garden for nine years, singing many bel canto Italian roles as well as appearing as Morgana in
Handel's Alcina. In 1995, a recording of Walton's Troilus and Cressida, on which
Howarth appeared, won an Opera of the Year nod from Gramophone magazine.
Howarth has gone on to appear at major opera houses in Britain and beyond, including the Deutsche Oper, the Washington National Opera, and the Minnesota Opera, where in 2004, she took the lead role in a new production of
Puccini's Madama Butterfly that she commissioned. She is a force in concert music as well, performing
Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 52 ("Lobgesang"), with the
Bergen Philharmonic in Norway and making appearances as far afield as China and Vancouver, British Columbia. She became well known for, among other roles, Violetta in
Verdi's La traviata, which she sang at the Minnesota Opera, the English National Opera, and the Glyndebourne Festival. As her voice developed over time, she began to cultivate its darker aspects, performing in
Mahler's Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") at Ely Cathedral and in
Elgar's oratorio King Olaf at Britain's Three Choirs Festival.
Howarth has been heard on more than 30 albums, several times on the Opera Rara label in starring roles. She joined the
London Philharmonic and conductor
Vladimir Jurowski on a 2021 recording of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand." ~ James Manheim