On Sept. 30, baritone Motti Kastón passed away  at the age of 64.

Kastón was a member of the soloist ensemble since 1991 and both as an artist and a colleague was held in high regard by all who worked with him. Speaking on behalf of the ensemble, Kammersängerin Helene Schneiderman said, “Motti will always hold a special place in our hearts. He was a man not only with a beautiful voice but also a beautiful soul. I will never forget the many wonderful and amusing moments we shared, and especially his distinctive sense of humor. Motti, we miss you already!”

Born in Tel Aviv in 1961, he completed a training program at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, making his debut there in 1989 in “Il barbiere di Siviglia.’ He went on to win the Pavarotti Competition in Philadelphia, USA and in 1991 he joined the Stuttgart State Opera ensemble. he would remain with the ensemble for many years being named “Württembergischer Kammersänger” in 2006.

His guest appearances included the title role in “L’Orfeo” in Montpellier, Rossini’s Barber in Frankfurt, Enrico (“Lucia di Lammermoor”) in Houston, and both Wolfram (“Tannhäuser”) and Marcello (“La Bohème”) at the Metropolitan Opera and in Dresden. His roles in Stuttgart included Ottone (“L’incoronazione di Poppea”), Rodrigo (*Don Carlo*), Lubino (“Una cosa rara”), Marcello, Figaro (“Il barbiere di Siviglia”), Germont (“La traviata”), Donner (“Das Rheingold”), and Sharpless (“Madama Butterfly”).