Tenor Jan Peerce was conductor Arturo Toscanini’s go-to tenor. He was born Jacob Pincus Perelmuth on June 3, 1904 and was raised in New York City as the third child of a family of Polish immigrants. He attended Columbia University and actually grew up playing the violin before eventually realizing that he was a lyric tenor. In 1932, he was {…}
Jan Peerce and Neil Shicoff are two of the great tenors in the history of opera, and they were born just one day—and 45 years—apart. Peerce’s birthday is on June 3, 1904, while Shicoff’s is June 2, 1949. If you’ve read our previous work, you know what to expect here: an examination of the operas and composers that united these {…}
UPDATE: On Tuesday, Jan. 17 it was announced that Sophie Koch would not be singing the role at the Met and that Clémentine Margaine would be taking over the entire run. For more information, read OperaWire’s coverage on the news. Opera’s most famous gypsy returns to the Metropolitan Opera stage on Thursday, Jan. 19. This year’s run of “Carmen” will {…}