On June 6, 2026, mezzo-soprano Ute Walther has died at the age of 83. Walther died after a long illness. Born on June 23, 1942, Walther studied voice at the Musikhochschule Berlin and made her stage debut in 1968 at the Staatstheater Schwerin in the title role of “Der Rosenkavalier.” She moved on to the Volkstheater Rostock in 1974 where {…}
On May 31, 2026, Volksoper Wien Choral director Holger Kristen died at the age of 47. Born in Horn, Lower Austria, Austria, Kristen sang at the age of nine in his father’s choir, where he later gained conducting experience. He also received trumpet and piano lessons at the music Musikschule Retz. After a year of singing lessons at the Diözesankonservatorium {…}
Conductor Max Bragado-Darman has died at the age of 80. Born in Madrid, Bragado-Darman studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Oberlin. He also studied at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Following his studied, from 1970 to 1972, he was assistant conductor of the University of Michigan orchestras and associate conductor of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the {…}
Former Seattle Opera General Director, Speight Jenkins has passed away at the age of 89. Born on Jan. 31, 1937 in Dallas, Texas, Jenkins was taken to his first opera at the age of 7, and he fell immediately in love with the art form. He later went on to get his Bachelors at the University of Texas at Austin, {…}
On May 23, 2026, Brian James Large has died at the age of 87. Born on Feb. 16, 1939 in London, England, Large went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Academy in 1991. After graduating from the University of London with doctorates in both music and {…}
Limmie Pulliam has died at the age of 50. The Missouri native trained with the late renowned pedagogue Richard Miller and became a participant in the young artist programs of Cleveland Opera, Opera Delaware and Opera Memphis. He was the 2012 Artist Division Winner of the National Opera Association’s Vocal Competition and, in 2013, was a winner in the 3rd Annual Concorso Internazionale {…}
On May 15, Dame Felicity Lott has died at the age of 79. The news comes days after the soprano gave an interview with the BBC in which announced she had terminal cancer. Born on May 8, 1947 in Cheltenham to a family of amateur musicians, Lott grew up as a lover of all things French and read French and {…}
On May 5, British-Ukrainian bass-baritone Pavlo Hunka died at the age of 67. Born in England to a Ukrainian father and an English mother on April 7, 1959, Hunka qualified as a linguist and practiced as a lawyer in the UK before changing to a singing career. He first began vocal studies at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music and {…}
On April 30, 2026, baritone Ryan Edwards died at the age of 84. Edwards was a leading Metropolitan Opera artist who performed with the company 50 times making his debut in 1976 in “Lucia di Lammermoor” as Enrico and singing his final performance in 1986 as Escamillo in “Carmen.” With the company he sang in productions of “Don Carlo,” “Ernani,” {…}
Mezzo-soprano Batyah Godfrey Ben-David has died at the age of 85. Ben-David is best-known for having performed at the Metropolitan Opera having made her debut on Feb. 17, 1969 and performing 595 performances until April 16, 1988. She went on to appear on multiple recordings at the Met, including “Idomeneo” with Pavarotti, “Rigoletto” with Placido Domingo, “Lulu” with Julia Migenes, {…}
Soprano Khayakazi Madlala has died at the age of 32. The soprano died on May 5 after a short illness. Cape Town Opera was the first to announce the news and said, “We are heartbroken by the unexpected passing of our beloved colleague, Khayakazi Madlala. Our thoughts go out to her family and loved ones during this difficult time.” Born {…}