(Credit: KAY HERSCHELMANN)

American Tenor Stephen Gould has released a statement regarding his early retirement and has disclosed that he has terminal cancer.

On his website, the esteemed tenor said, “For all of my fans and well wishers: I have waited till the end of the Bayreuth festival, so as not to hinder the tremendous and heroic efforts displayed by this years 2023 team. I have nothing but joy and admiration for the Werkstatt continuing efforts toward excellence.”

He continued, “I was diagnosed with bile duct cancer with complications. It is Cholangio- Carcinoma, a fatal disease with an outlook of several months to 10 months. There is no cure.”

Gould concluded, “I did not wish anything to cloud this years achievements, and I am grateful to Bayreuth, for teaching me all that I could have hoped to know about the performance of this great musicians works. With many found memories… Stephen Gould.”

The statement comes a week after his agency said that he was retiring “For health reasons” and was “forced to cancel all upcoming engagements.”

Throughout his career, Gould has performed at some of the greatest theaters in the world in Valencia, Bayreuth, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Zurich, New York, London, Tokyo, Dresden, Berlin, Birmingham, Vienna, Paris, and La Coruña.