John Shirley-Quirk
John Stanton Shirley-Quirk, also known as John Shirley-Quirk, was born on August
28, 1931, in Liverpool, and was an English bass‑baritone. After studying
chemistry at Liverpool University, he resumed vocal training with Austen
Carnegie. His breakthrough came in 1961 with the British premiere of Henze’s
Elegy for Young Lovers and in 1962 as the Doctor in Debussy’s Pelléas et
Mélisande. He joined Benjamin Britten’s English Opera Group in 1964, creating
roles in Curlew River, Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi, and Death in Venice.
His recordings include Britten, Mahler, Vaughan Willi...
