Jeffrey Lawton, FRNCM (11 December 1938 – 4 May 2018), was a tenor best known as an international opera singer. He began his career as a student at the Royal Manchester College of Music and from 1982 to 1987 was principal tenor with the Welsh National Opera Company. Lawton also sang with Opera North and the Scottish Opera. On one occasion in 1990 he substituted for the ill Plácido Domingo in the role of Otello at the Royal Opera, London under Carlos Kleiber. As well as singing at various British festivals and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, other pursuits included president of the Wagner Society Manchester and patron of the Oldham Choral Society. Lawton was a tutor and a Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music (FRNCM).
Selected performances Welsh National Opera Otello - Otello, 1986 The Trojans - Aeneas, 1987 Die Frau ohne Schatten - The Emperor, 1989 Tristan und Isolde - Tristan, 1993
Opera North Wozzeck - Captain, 1993 Tannhäuser - Tannhäuser, 1997 Der Kuhhandel - President Mendez, 2006
Scottish Opera The Greek Passion - Panait Katerina's lover, 1990 Tristan und Isolde - Tristan a Cornish knight, 1994 & 1998 Inés de Castro - Pedro Crown Prince of Portugal, 1996 Peter Grimes - Peter Grimes a fisherman, 1997 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg - Balthasar Zorn a pewterer, 2006
Royal Opera House Der Ring des Nibelungen, Siegfried - Siegfried, 1986 Otello - Otello, 1990 Elektra - Aegisth, 1994
Film appearances Othello TV film, Production company BBC, Broadcaster ZDF, 1985 After Moscow, Production company Euston Films, 1983
References