Obituary: Alamo City Impresario Mark Richter Dies At 51

By Francisco Salazar

Opera and concert producer Mark Richter has died, according to Alamo City Opera music director Kristin Roach.

Music director Roach announced the death of the 51-year-old who was currently serving as the artistic director of the Alamo City Opera.  Richter died on April 28, 2019, at Metropolitan Methodist Hospital, where he was hospitalized for about 10 days.

Richter grew up on the Southeast Side where he studied voice and in 1992 he founded San Antonio’s Three Tenors operatic singing group. The group had been inspired by Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, and Placido Domingo.

Later in 1995, he founded the Pocket Opera on a shoestring budget and eventually was renamed to Lyric Opera of San Antonio and, later, San Antonio Opera. The company emerged and he was able to attract Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, Roberta Peters, and Patti LuPone.

He would also form the Opera Piccola and eventually the Alamo City Opera in 2012, where he was able to showcase more than 80 productions on a smaller scale.

Richter not only produced grand opera, but also opened the path for chamber opera. In January, the Alamo City Opera’s January production of the popular contemporary opera “As One” was notable in part for being the first production with a transgender performer, Liz Bouk, in the lead role.

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