Background
Josephine Barstow was born in Sheffield and educated at the University of Birmingham.
Josephine Barstow was born in Sheffield and educated at the University of Birmingham.
University of Birmingham.
She made her professional debut (Mim� in La boh�me) with the touring company Opera for All in 1964. During the following season, she sang Gluck's Euridice and Verdi's Violetta for the Sadler's Wells Opera Company and in 1968 she began a three-year contract with Welsh National Opera. In 1969 she made her Royal Opera debut as one of the nieces in Peter Grimes Among other roles with the Royal Opera, she has sung Alice Ford (Falstaff), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes, Leonore (Fidelio) and the Old Countess (The Queen of Spades).
She also appeared in the world premi�res of two operas by Sir Michael Tippett: The Knot Garden (as Denise) and The Ice Break (as Gayle). At Glyndebourne, she has appeared as Lady Macbeth, Elettra (Idomeneo) and Leonore. Roles with English National Opera include an acclaimed Violetta, Emilia Marty (The Makropulos Case), Natasha in the British stage premi�re of War and Peace and the title roles in Salome, Aida, Arabella, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Der Rosenkavalier.
Rehearsals for Salome and an interview with Barstow were featured in a December 1975 episode of the BBC television programme Arena. Among other engagements outside the British Isles, she has appeared at the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Chicago Lyric Opera, the Vienna State Opera and the Bayreuth Festival. Latterly, she has performed a number of roles with Opera North, including Alice Ford, Lady Macbeth, Kostelnicka in Jenufa, Marie in Wozzeck, Lady Billows in Albert Herring and in the title roles of Gloriana, M�d�e and Aida.
On March 22, 1986, Barstow reprised her role as Salome, this time at the Seattle Opera House, performing the Dance of the Seven Veils. She danced a choreography by Mark Morris, wearing a costume designed by Sarah Nash Gates, involving the literal removal of seven veils. At the end of the number Barstow was wearing only a G-string.
In October 2011 she appeared as the Countess in The Queen of Spades, also with Opera North. CDs Josephine Barstow was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1995.
Selected recordings CDs Albert Herring (conductor Steuart Bedford), 1996, Naxos Un ballo in maschera (conductor Herbert von Karajan), 1989, DG Gloriana (conductor Charles Mackerras), 1993, Decca The Knot Garden (conductor Colin Davis), 1974, Philips Kiss Me, Kate (conductor John McGlinn), EMI Oliver! (conductor John Owen Edwards), JAY Records Street Scene (conductor John Mauceri), 1991, Decca Opera Finales (Salome, M�d�e, The Makropulos Affair, Turandot) (conductor John Mauceri), 1990, DeccaDVDs Un ballo in maschera (conductor Sir Georg Solti), 2005, TDK Gloriana (conductor Paul Daniel), 2000, Opus Arte Idomeneo (conductor John Pritchard), 1974, Arthaus Musik Macbeth (conductor John Pritchard), 1972, Arthaus Musik Owen Wingrave (conductor Kent Nagano), 2001, Arthaus Musik.
