(Credit: Louis Melançon) Jon Vickers is one of the great tenors of the 20th century, renowned for his work in the more dramatic repertory. To celebrate his birthday on Oct. 29, we’ve put together a quiz that probes some of his major career highlights and some of his thoughts and ideals on opera. As always, enjoy!
Jon Vickers was once known as “God’s tenor.” Born on Oct. 29, 1926, the Canadian artist would go on to a storied career with a voice that has become as immortal as God. He was the sixth child of eight children and while his initial intention was to study medicine, he earned a scholarship to study at the Royal Conservatory {…}
Jon Vickers, born on Oct. 29, 1926, built up a career as one of the finest dramatic tenors of his time. He conquered a wide range of repertoire across a wide range of houses, became associated with quite a few roles, and then went on to make acclaimed recordings with other major superstars. Vickers’ career got kickstarted in 1957 when {…}
When Jonas Kaufmann takes the stage on Wed. June 21, 2017, for his first ever “Otello” in Verdi’s masterwork, he will follow in a long line of major tenors that have dominated the opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The opera first premiered with the ROH on Oct. 17, 1955, in a production starring Ramon Vinay in his {…}
Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes” had its world premiere on June 7, 1945, and was immediately an operatic success. Hailed as a masterwork, Britten’s most famous opera has been a major staple in almost every opera house around the world. And while there have been numerous tenors that have staked their claim on the role, there are perhaps no artists better {…}