(Credit: Steven Swales Artist Management)

On Sept. 8, 2024, English tenor Ben Thapa has died at the age of 42.

In a statement from his vocal G4, the group said, “It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother and great friend, Ben Thapa. Words cannot express how we all feel right now… We understand that this will be heartbreaking news for so many others too and we send you our love and support as we all remember the amazing man and memories that he has left behind. Ben has been such a major part of the international singing community and he was a critical part of our journey as a group. Thank you for your love at this difficult time.”

In August 2024, Thapa posted that he had an “Emergency nephrostomy done.”

Born on March 2, 1982 in Cambridge, Thapa was raised by a single mother from the age of four and entered foster care when he was 11.

He started singing lessons and sang in his local church choir, and played the clarinet in an orchestra while at Hills Road Sixth Form College. he later studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He would later study at the Wales International Academy of Voice.

He rose to fame when he auditioned for the first series of “The X Factor” with his G4 bandmates. While the ensemble lost, they were approached by Sony, and the group released three albums. The group split in 2007 and after a seven year hiatus reunited for a concert at Barbican Hall and they continued to record until 2018. In 2019 he decided to concentrate on his solo career.

Thapa went on to work with the National Chamber Choir of Ireland and made an opera career for himself. He went on to perform with the Scottish Opera, Chelsea Opera, the Buxton Festival, the Royal Opera, Teatru Manoel, the Longborough Festival, the Opera Comique, and the English National Opera.

Among the roles he sang included Vanya Kudrjash in “Katya Kabanova,” Tito in “La clemenza di Tito,” Melot in “Tristan und Isolde,” Cavaradossi in “Tosca,” Max in “Der Freischütz,” and Florestan “Fidelio,” among many others.