Lithuanian tenor Virgilijus Noreika has passed away. Considered Lithuania’s foremost tenor of the second half of the 20th century, Noreika was born in Šiauliai and graduated with honors from the Lithuanian State Conservatory in 1958. After graduating, he became an ensemble member of the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Lithuania, where he went on to perform numerous roles including {…}
Famed conductor Jesus Lopez Cobos has passed away today, March 2, 2018, in the city of Berlin; the cause of death is given as complications due to cancer. Throughout his career, Cobos was music director with a number of prominent orchestras, such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, with which he would become their Conductor Emeritus; Deutsche Oper, where he served {…}
Bass Raimund Herincx has passed away at the age of 90. The British bass, born in London on August 23, 1927, began his career performing at the Welsh National Opera and Sadler’s Wells Opera, singing in over 400 performances and 40 major roles. He would later be engaged for guest appearances in the opera houses of Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, {…}
Soprano Tamara Nizhnikova has died at 92. A stalwart of the National Opera and Ballet of Belarus, the soprano was born in Samara on March 9, 1925, and went on to attend the Moscow Conservatory before joining what later became the National Opera and Ballet of Belarus. With the company she portrayed such roles as Rosina in “The Barber of Seville,” Martha in “The {…}
German operatic bass-baritone Karl-Heinz Stryczek has died at 80 on Jan. 24, 2018. The bass-baritone who was born on May 5, 1937, in Nikelsdorf, Germany was well-known for his work in the German repertoire and occasionally sang Verdi. He was a beloved artist at the Berlin Staatsoper and the Semper Oper Dresden and recorded many operas including “Lohengrin” alongside Martin {…}
American Tenor James McCray has died at the age of 79. Born in Ohio, the tenor served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War before entering the Mannes School of Music in New York City and eventually went on to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He went on to perform with the Concert Opera Association {…}
Met Assistant General Manager Robert Rattray has passed away at the age of 67. Per sources, he suffered a stroke on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. He was appointed to the position in 2014, replacing Sarah Billinghurst. Prior to that appointment, he had already accumulated over 40 years of experience in the world of classical music management. He had been Joint {…}
The renowned Italian mezzo Claudia Carbi has died. The mezzo, who was born in Cremona in 1923, sang at most leading Italian opera houses and specialized in early music, chamber music, and oratorio. Among the theaters, she sang at were the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Carlo Felice di Genoa and the Teatro Manzoni di Milano. Throughout her career, Carbi recorded a {…}
The Philippine tenor Otoniel Gonzaga has passed away at 76. The Wiener Volksoper reported the news that on Jan. 13, 2018, the acclaimed tenor passed away. The tenor, who trained at Curtis, started his career by winning first-prize of the Marian Anderson Singing Competition and won the ARD Singing Competition, where he took third place. He went on to perform at {…}
The Bolshoi Theatre has announced the death of Alexander Vedernikov. The company announced that the bass died at the age of 90 after being a household name with the company throughout the second half of the 20th century. Throughout his career the bass won numerous awards including the World Festival of Youth and Students (2nd Prize, 1953), the Robert Schumann International {…}
American soprano Marilyn Tyler has passed away on Dec. 21, 2017. Her career spanned 25 years, during which time she performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cologne Radio Symphony, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Boston Symphony. As a soloist, she sang under the baton of conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Sir Colin Davis, Georg Solti, {…}