Justin Bindley was born in Farnworth and started his singing career as a treble soloist, including a recording of Cathedral music conducted by Simon Preston, Puccini'sTosca and Britten's Saint Nicolas.He studied singing with Lloyd Strauss-Smith and subsequently with John Cameron.

He was the joint recipient of the 1986 Novello Oratorio Scholarship, which included a masterclass with Richard Van Allan.

He sang for English National Opera in 1988 in their new production of Billy Budd (recorded for BBC2) and subsequently in the 1991 revival. He sang with the English Bach Festival in 1990 in Mozart's Idomeneo (at the Royal Opera House and Theatre de Vichy) and for Scottish Opera in Les Troyens (including performances as part of the company's first visit to the Royal Opera House), Fidelio, Billy Budd and Carmen.

He made his debut with the New D'Oyly Carte Opera as Sir Richard Cholmondley (The Yeomen of the Guard) in 1988, a role he repeated in a centenary performance in Sheffield Town Hall. He understudied Samuel (The Pirates ofPenzance) and Pish-Tush (The Mikado) in their 1989 London season at the Savoy Theatre.

With Opera North he sang in Boris Godunov (including a performance at the 1992 BBC Proms), Billy Budd (also in the Netherlands) and Don Carlo. In 1994 he sang in Lohengrin for De Vlaamse Opera in Belgium.

He joined Carl Rosa Opera in 2000 and sang Wilfred Shadbolt (Yeoman of the Guard), Samuel (Pirates of Penzance), Frosch (Die Fledemaus) and Pish-Tush (The Mikado) – which included performances as part of the company’s 2001 tour of Australia and New Zealand. He also understudied Strephon (Iolanthe) and appeared on their cd and video recordings of The Mikado.

Recent engagements include  a concert performance of HMS Pinafore (Sir Joseph Porter) in the world premiere of the new critical edition and at the 2005 BBC Proms in HMS Pinafore, conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Richard Cholmondley (The Yeoman of the Guard) in a concert performance on the Isle of Man in June 2006.

In September 2008 Justin recorded the world premiere of the full version of Sir Edward german´s Tom Jones for Naxos for release this autumn.

Other companies he has sung for include The London Savoyards (Centenary performances of The Yeomen of the Guard and The Gondoliers at the Barbican Centre), British Youth Opera (Masetto in Don Giovanni), The Modern Music Theatre Troupe (Ahau in Paul Barker's La Malinche) and Glasgow Grand Opera (Eugene Onegin, title role).

His Mozart opera roles include Papageno, Masetto, Mr. Bluff(The Impresario) and Count Almaviva (1987 Oxford Opera Festival). Other roles include Junius (The Rape ofLucretia), Ben(The Telephone), 1st Officer/2nd Commissionaire (The Dialogue of the Carmelites), Aeneas (Dido & Aeneas) and Marullo (Rigoletto).Solo oratorio engagements include The Crucifixion (Stainer),Dixit Dominus (Vivaldi), Magnificat (CPE Bach) and Faure'sRequiem.

For the London Choral Society he was the Baritone Soloist in Walton's The Twelve and Durufle's Requiem at Southwark Cathedral. Other engagements include Dvorak's Te Deum (1995 Dulwich Festival) and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast at the Blackheath Concert Hall in the presence of Lady Walton.

Recordings include the role of the Spanish Officer in Sullivan´s The Contrabandista (Hyperion Records), The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance for TER records and Video Recordings Billy Budd (ENO). Tom Jones {Sir Edward German} for Naxos in the autumn of 2009.

He has also recorded Ahau (La Malinche - Paul Barker) for BBC Radio 3(broadcast in 1991).

 

Justin is currently composing a Requiem, 3 numbers of which were performed in London in April 2009.

 

Since October 2008 Justin is now vocal advisor to the Cheltenham Bach Choir.