Tenor Eduardo Villa has died after years of fighting Esophageal Cancer. Born in 1953, Villa studied at the University of Southern California as well as with Martial Singher, Horst Günter, and Margaret Harshaw. He had his big break when he won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1982 and performed with the Basel Opera Theater from 1983 to 1987. {…}
(Photo: Archive Berliner Philharmoniker/Stefan Beetz) Former General Manager of the Berliner Philharmoniker Franz Xaver Ohnesorg has died at the age of 75. Born on March 9, 1948, Ohnesorg was the son of a master baker couple and graduated from high school in 1968 at the Adolf-Weber-Gymnasium in Munich. He went on to study business administration and general music and theater {…}
On Nov. 25, 2023, conductor Robert Hart Baker died at the age of 69. Born on March 19, 1954, the conductor went on to study at the Manhattan School of Music for preparatory division, the Academie Internationale d’ete, the Mozarteum Conservatory in Salzburg, Horace Mann School, Harvard University, Yale University, and York College of Pennsylvania He was a student of Herbert {…}
(Credit: Met Opera Archives) Mezzo-soprano Mildred Miller has died at the age of 98. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she attended the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and graduated from West High School in 1942. She then studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory. She also went on to study at the Tanglewood Music Center and {…}
On Nov. 24, 2023, American tenor Douglas Ahlstedt died at the age of 78. Born in Jamestown, New York, Ahlstedt attended and performed with the American Boychoir School. He sang in his first opera while still a child, portraying the role of Miles in the United States premiere of Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” with the New York {…}
French Bass-Baritone Virgile Ancely has died. Backstage Opera Management announced the news and noted, “We associate with the pain of his companion Floriane and send our deepest condolences to his entire family and loved ones. We assure them of our full support in this terrible ordeal. Virgile was a very nice person and a great artist, he will be greatly {…}
(Photo: Susan Johann) American composer David Del Tredici passed away on Nov. 18, 2023 due to complications with Parkinson’s disease. He was 86. Born on March 16, 1937 in Cloverdale, California, Del Tredici studied piano at age 12 and made his solo debut at 17 with the San Francisco Symphony. He originally set out on a career as a solo {…}
On Nov. 12, Conductor Julian Kovatchev died at the age of 63. Born in 1955 in Sofia, Sofia-Grad, Bulgaria, Kovatchev studied violin and at the age of five he made his first public concert. After his first music studies in Sofia, his family moved to Germany, near Salzburg, where he studied with Franz Samohyl at the Mozarteum and got his degree {…}
British Bass-baritone Keel Watson has died at the age of 59. In a statement, Steven Swales Artist Management said, “It is with enormous sadness that we announce the sudden death of Keel Watson. It was a huge privilege to work with him and call him a friend. Keel’s magnificent voice was admired by so many, as was his sharp wit {…}
Israeli composer and conductor Arieh Levanon has passed away. He was 91. Born in Romania, he immigrated to Israel in 1951 where he was a graduate of the Tel Aviv Academy of Music. He then went on to study in Italy and started composing music for film and theaters. Among the films that he composed for was the 1961 feature {…}
Famed conductor Yuri Temirkanov died on Nov. 2, 2023. He was 84. Born in Nalchik, Russia, Temirkanov studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and in 1966 won the All-Union Conductors Competition. He was then invited by Kirill Kondrashin to tour Europe and the U.S. with the Moscow Philharmonic and famed violinist David Oistrakh. He made his Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra debut {…}