Michael Ronan wins 2023 John Christie Award

Bass-baritone Michael Ronan has been announced as the winner of the 2023 John Christie Award. Ronan was given the award, Glyndebourne Opera House’s most prestigious prize, during Glyndebourne chairman Gus Christie’s traditional last night speech on Sunday evening (27 August).

Having just completed his studies at Royal Academy of Music where he won the academy’s 2022 Bicentenary Prize, Ronan adds this latest award to recent accolades including the Joan Chissell Schumann Lieder Prize, the Thomas Armstrong English Song Prize and the Blyth-Buesst Opera Prize. This season he joined Glyndebourne’s Jerwood Young Artist Program, taking on the role of Keeper of The Madhouse in The Rake's Progress. Michael will be singing Masetto (Don Giovanni) for Glyndebourne’s autumn programme this coming October.

The John Christie Award is given by Glyndebourne in partnership with the Musicians’ Company which has supported the award since it was created in 1965. The award includes a £15,000 scholarship and is designed to support the career of an outstanding young talent in the Glyndebourne Festival company with support for further study. You can find a full list of previous winners here.

In addition to the John Christie Award, Ronan will also receive a five-year tenure as a Musicians’ Company Young Artist. Young Artists typically give performances across the country as well as working with the Company’s Young Artists Outreach Programme, taking music into inner London primary schools.