Marcus Farnsworth is a baritone who performs in operas, concerts and recitals around the world. He is also a conductor with a particular specialism in choral and vocal music. He was awarded first prize in the 2009 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Song Prize at the 2011 Kathleen Ferrier Competition.

Marcus began his musical training as a chorister at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire. He went on to study at Chetham’s School of Music, the University of Manchester and the Royal Academy of Music. In addition to a busy career as a performer, Marcus is Head of Vocal and Choral Studies at Chetham’s and is Founder and Artistic Director of the Southwell Music Festival. He was also recently appointed as Musical Director of the Southwell Choral Society.

He has appeared as a principal artist with opera companies in the UK and abroad including English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Bergen National Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and Teatro Real Madrid. Equally at home on the concert platform, Marcus has performed and recorded extensively with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, Gabrieli Consort, Academy of Ancient Music, Arcangelo, and Aurora Orchestra. He is also a keen recitalist and an advocate for new music. He has given recitals at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, La Monnaie, the Oxford Lieder Festival, Leeds Lieder and the Wigmore Hall.

Marcus lives in Southwell in Nottinghamshire with his wife and four-year-old son and, thanks to the latter, has developed an unlikely interest in agricultural vehicles. Marcus is a keen cook and consumer of food. He also enjoys cycling and hiking, both of which are good for working off all that food.