Vernon Midgley
Position
Vocal Lecturer
Qualifications
ARAM
Room
104, 39a Creyke Road
Contact Details
Phone: +64 3 364-2987 ext 3685
Internal Phone:
v-a-midgley@xtra.co.nz
Background
Vernon Midgely immigrated with his family to New Zealand in 1998 after thirty-seven years as one of Britain's most popular singing stars. He now lives in Christchurch and teaches singing at the Christchurch College of education (NASDA) and also at the University of Canterbury.
He was a distinguished student at the Royal Academy of Music and in 1990 he was awarded an Associateship. Since leaving the Academy, Vernon's career has embraced oratorio, recitals, opera and celebrity concerts, working with top international coaches and appearing with many leading orchestras and conductors and at most of Britain's major concert halls including those at London's South Bank and Royal Albert Hall.
Vernon spent two seasons with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera where he met his wife, the New Zealand soprano Alexandra Gordon. Their daughter Juliet Reynolds Midgley also lives in Christchurch and is rapidly making a name for herself as a jazz singer.
Vernon has been a regular guest singer internationally and has sung with Dame Malvina Major both here and abroad. His repertoire includes eight languages. He has recorded for most of the major recording companies and on MVM, a label he created with his sister, soprano Maryetta. These two singers performed together regularly to great acclaim and were household names on the BBC. They were both honoured on a number of occasions to sing for various members of the Royal Family and were personally chosen by the Queen Mother to appear in the Royal Gala Concert celebrating her 85th birthday.