John Potter is involved with early music both as a researcher and performer, and has written extensively on the subject (focusing on historical performance reality); his four books on singing are published by Cambridge University Press and Yale University Press. In addition to the Conductus project, his recent ventures include an album with lutenists Ariel Abramovich and Jacob Heringman featuring songs by Campion, Sting, Tony Banks and John Paul Jones. He is a former British Library Edison Fellow and is Reader Emeritus in Music at the University of York, having left the university in 2010 to return to his portfolio of freelance projects. He was a member of The Hilliard Ensemble from 1984 to 2001 and a major contributor to the group’s Officium project, subsequently developing many of the ideas in The Dowland Project’s four albums for ECM. He also produced the first three ECM albums by the Scandinavian Trio Medieval. Red Byrd, the ensemble he founded with the bass Richard Wistreich, has made numerous records for Hyperion, and John has also contributed to many of the Paradise Regained series (ORF & Fra Bernardo) by the German ensemble The Sound & The Fury.

John’s eclectic performing experience has ranged from first performances of works by Arvo Pärt, Luciano Berio, Karheinz Stockhausen, James Dillon, Gavin Bryars and Michael Finnissy to backing vocals for Manfred Mann, Mike Oldfield and The Who (among others). He continues to explore new music in several genres, most recently recording works by Ambrose Field and Peter-Anthony Togni, as well as in his regular appearances with the Gavin Bryars Ensemble.