Chief Investigator Griffith University

Performing regularly as a soloist with symphony orchestras, chamber music groups and choirs throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia, tenor Paul McMahon is one of Australia’s finest exponents of baroque and classical repertoire, particularly the Evangelist role in the Passions of J. S. Bach.

Career highlights include Bach’s Johannes-Passion with the Australian Chamber Orchestra under Richard Tognetti, Bach’s Matthäus-Passion with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra under Roy Goodman, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs under Richard Hickox, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Masaaki Suzuki and Mozart’s Requiem with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Manfred Honeck. Paul’s recital collaborations include performances with the renowned pianists Bengt Forsberg and Kathryn Stott, the New Zealand String Quartet and the Australia Ensemble. Paul has appeared as soloist in concert for Opera Australia and in the festivals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. For Opera Queensland he sang Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and for Pinchgut Opera he sang Arbace in Mozart’s Idomeneo, as well as roles in Handel’s Semele, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Charpentier’s David et Jonathas. He has given concerts for broadcast on BBC Radio 3, ABC Classic FM and the MBS network. As a member of the vocal ensemble, The Song Company (1997–2001), he toured regularly throughout Australia, Asia and Europe.

Paul’s most recent appearances include Handel’s Messiah with the Queensland and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Samson and Solomon and Bach’s Easter Oratorio for St George’s Cathedral, Perth, the Evangelist in Bach’s Johannes-Passion and Matthäus-Passion in Melbourne and Brisbane, and Haydn’s Creation with the Newcastle University Choir. Paul’s discography includes a double-CD recording of art songs by the Australian composer Calvin Bowman for Decca (Real and Right and True), for ABC Classics the album of English, French and Italian lute songs entitled A Painted Tale, a CD and DVD recording of Handel’s Messiah, Handel’s Semele, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Mozart’s Requiem and Idomeneo, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Fauré’s La naissance de Venus. Other ABC Classics’ releases include Swoon – A Visual and Musical Odyssey and The Swoon Collection Gold Edition; the Christmas discs Perfect Day, Silent Night and Glorious Night; Prayer for Peace; Eternity; Danny Boy, Ye Banks and Braes, Praise II and the soundtrack to the Australian feature film The Bank.

Paul accepted a Churchill Fellowship in 2002 to undertake intensive study in baroque repertoire under the tutelage of Marius van Altena at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. He holds a PhD in music from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, a Master of Music (Performance) degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, a Graduate Diploma of Music from Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and a Bachelor of Creative Arts degree from the University of Southern Queensland. Paul was Deputy Head of School and a Senior Lecturer in Music at the Australian National University’s School of Music (2013–2021) and a music academic at the University of Newcastle, Australia (2005–2012). Paul has published extensively on historical performance practices, particularly in vocal music of the eighteenth century. He is currently a Chief Investigator on the Australian Research Council Discovery Project ‘The shock of the old: Re-discovering the sounds of bel canto 1700 – 1900 (DP220101596), he is an Adjunct Research Fellow and member of the vocal staff at Queensland

Conservatorium Griffith University and Queensland State Manager for Musica Viva Australia.