Bass-Baritone Edmund Milly is sought after for his “annunciatory power” (New York Times), “perfect diction” (Los Angeles Times), and distinctive “delicacy and personal warmth” (Boston Classical Review). Dedicated to the concert repertoire and increasingly found on the symphonic stage, in the 2026-2027 season he will make his debut with the Dallas Symphony in Bach’s St. John Passion, and with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Frequently engaged as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Edmund returns to the National Philharmonic’s production this December. Other recent highlights include Fauré’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall, Stravinsky’s Renard with the Baltimore Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Cathedral Choral Society, and Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel in recital.
A committed interpreter of Bach’s major works, Edmund has also performed over 110 of Bach’s cantatas. Seen and Heard International wrote that he “stole the show” in his Bachfest Leipzig debut in 2024, and he cherishes his work with many organizations dedicated to bringing Bach’s music to life, including the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Cantata Collective, and Trinity Church NYC. Continuing his collaboration with Jos van Veldhoven, Edmund performed a selection of secular cantatas at this year’s Oregon Bach Festival. This season marks his first performance with the Colorado Bach Ensemble, in addition to Passion performances with the Washington Bach Consort and Ensemble Veritas, among others.
Edmund is a graduate of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and a veteran of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” His recorded work includes solo credits on the BBC, as well as appearances on several GRAMMY-nominated albums. He often performs with his wife - mezzo-soprano Sylvia Leith - with whom he co-founded the Polyphonists, a vocal quartet which recently made its Lincoln Center debut in Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light.
About
Bass-Baritone Edmund Milly is sought after for his “annunciatory power” (New York Times), “perfect diction” (Los Angeles Times), and distinctive “delicacy and personal warmth” (Boston Classical Review). This season saw his solo debuts with the Baltimore Symphony (in Stravinsky’s Renard) and the Lancaster Symphony (in Handel’s Messiah). Other recent solo engagements include Britten’s War Requiem with the Yale Symphony, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Washington Bach Consort, Haydn’s Creation with Princeton Pro Musica, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society. In 2024 he was nominated for a GRAMMY award as a soloist on Benedict Sheehan’s Akathist.
Edmund’s education began with cello lessons at age 3 and continued at the American Boychoir School, where he became steeped in the concert repertoire while singing under conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and André Previn. Edmund holds degrees from McGill University and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, where he studied with James Taylor.
Since his Lincoln Center debut as Jesus in Bach’s St. John Passion with Yale Schola Cantorum led by Masaaki Suzuki, Edmund has been frequently engaged as a soloist in Bach’s Passion settings, with performances at the Oregon Bach Festival, Bach Akademie Charlotte, Trinity Wall Street, and the Staunton Music Festival. He has also performed over 100 of Bach’s cantatas. Edmund “stole the show” (Seen and Heard International) in his Bachfest Leipzig debut in 2024, and cherishes his work with many of the organizations around the country committed to bringing Bach’s music to life, including the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Gamut Bach Ensemble, and Cantata Collective.
A veteran of the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” Edmund has been a soloist at the White House, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Supreme Court. His recorded work includes solo credits on the BBC and CBC, and appearances on several GRAMMY-nominated albums. Edmund often performs alongside his wife, mezzo-soprano Sylvia Leith, including in their work with the Polyphonists, a vocal quartet they co-founded which recently made its Lincoln Center debut in Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light.