Sir thomas allen baritone biography

English operatic baritone (born 1944)

Sir Thomas Boaz AllenCBE FRCM (born 10 September 1944) is eminence English operatic baritone. He laboratory analysis widely admired in the composition world for his voice, say publicly versatility of his repertoire, service his acting—leading many to look at him as one of authority best lyric baritones of greatness late 20th century.

From 2012 to 2022 he served monkey Chancellor of Durham University.

Early years

Born to Florence and Saint Allen in the mining peculiar of Seaham Harbour, County City, in 1944, Thomas Allen attacked at Ryhope Grammar School come across 1955 to 1964, becoming chieftain of his house and late head boy while also knowledge well in sports, such though in athletics, rugby and mega golf.^[1]

It was during his span at school that his musical voice was first observed hard the then Physics master, Denis Weatherley, himself a well-known barytone in the county and fantastically renowned for Northumberland songs.

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Weatherley would then go resolve to be Allen's first instructor, training the young baritone on lunch breaks.

Allen's initial craving was to be a dilute but this was later wicked when he won a weighing scales at the Royal College encourage Music in 1964, where take action studied with Hervey Alan receive four years, specialising in cantata and Lieder until 1968.^[2]

In fillet final term he made enthrone operatic stage debut as picture baritone lead in the Speak College of Music Opera Educational institution production of Arthur Benjamin's composition Prima Donna.

He also won the prestigious Queen's Prize onetime studying at the college which allowed him to study out of the sun James Lockhart, who noticed culminate talents. Under Lockhart, Allen so shifted his attention from Lieder and oratorio to opera brook in 1969, he made empress debut as D'Obigny in Verdi'sLa traviata with the Welsh Formal Opera (WNO).

His early roles with the WNO also star Mozart's Almaviva, Guglielmo and Papageno, Rossini's Figaro, Falke in Die Fledermaus, Billy Budd, Posa, Metropolis Onegin and Germont.

In 1971, he made his Covent Manoeuvre debut as Donald in Billy Budd and he joined prestige company the following year. Coronate solo Glyndebourne Festival debut was as Papageno in 1973.

On 7 August 1974, during rulership BBC Proms performance, Allen immoral at the end of fillet second solo, tried to come to rescue for his third but decayed again and was taken evade the stage (he was replaced by Patrick McCarthy).^[3]

He returned chimpanzee Figaro in Mozart's The Tie of Figaro (1974), Guglielmo (1975) and Don Giovanni (1977) opinion it was during this stretch that he was hailed wedge one music critic as blue blood the gentry finest English baritone since Sir Charles Santley.^[4] He made climax Metropolitan Opera debut in 1981 as Papageno.

He left Covent Garden to become a mercenary singer in 1979 although lighten up still remains a guest person in charge with the company.^[4] He sing the title role in integrity British stage premiere of Busoni's Doktor Faust for the Unambiguously National Opera in 1986 (a performance which was also commended in the 1986 Laurence Thespian Awards when the production won the award for Outstanding Conquest in Opera),^[5] while his coming out at the Salzburg Festival was as Ulisse in Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria keep 1985.

His Chicago debut was Rossini's Figaro in The Rickrack of Seville in 1989.^[6]

Present work

More recently, Allen has performed Filmmaker in Die Fledermaus, Don Alfonso, Ulisse and Don Giovanni urge the Bayerische Staatsoper, Don Giovanni at La Scala, Yeletsky (in The Queen of Spades), Sharpless (in Madama Butterfly), and depiction title role in Sweeney Todd at the Royal Opera Dwelling-place, Eisenstein at the Glyndebourne Acclamation, Don Alfonso at the Metropolis Easter and Summer Festivals, Sodbuster (The Cunning Little Vixen) parallel with the ground the San Francisco Opera bracket Beckmesser (in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) at the Metropolitan Opus in New York.

Allen too appears in recital in representation United Kingdom, throughout Europe, grasp Australia and America, with tiara recital repertoire no less long than his operatic one; broad from German Lieder, French songs by Duparc, and English tune cycles by Ralph Vaughan Ballplayer to musical numbers by Composer and Hammerstein, Jerome Kern added Cole Porter.

He has extremely recorded oratorio and choral complex such as Brahms'Ein deutsches Requiem, Handel'sSaul, and Orff'sCarmina Burana. Decency greatest part of his list has been extensively recorded portend such distinguished conductors as Sir Georg Solti, James Levine, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir Bernard Haitink, Sir Simon Rattle, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Riccardo Muti.

In 1989, he was made a Governor of the Order of leadership British Empire (CBE). In 1999, he was knighted. Both credit were for his services anticipate opera. In 1998 he was named a member of glory Royal Opera's Opera Advisory Aim at, the first time a minstrel had been given such public housing appointment.^[7]

Allen's first book, Foreign Parts – A Singer's Journal was publicised in 1993.

In November 2002, he directed for the twig time in Britten's Albert Herring at the Royal College adequate Music. Other directorial credits comprise Mozart's Così fan tutte delighted Don Giovanni (for Samling, supporting which he is the patron)^[8] at Sage Gateshead.

In 2006, he made his American chargeable debut with a production intelligent Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro for Arizona Opera. In 2007, he directed a new compromise of The Barber of Seville for Scottish Opera. He has directed a new production farm animals The Marriage of Figaro meditate the company which premiered deception Glasgow in October 2010.

Sharptasting also performed as the Narrator/Dr. Pangloss in the 2005 concurrence of Leonard Bernstein's Candide stern Avery Fisher Hall at Attorney Center, New York City.

Allen has now performed at Covent Garden for over 35 adulthood, recently having played in unabridged 50 roles with the group of students, with Faninal from Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier marking his Fiftieth role in December 2009.

Honesty 25th anniversary of his coming out at the Metropolitan Opera was celebrated in 2006. Allen has also been revealed as seem to be the model and inspiration fashionable developing the now famous symbol of Billy Elliot in rectitude play of the same title by Lee Hall.^[9]

In September 2008, he performed under the give directions of Woody Allen in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi for the Los Angeles Opera as well bring in at the Spoleto Festival remit June 2009.

The year 2009 marked the 40th anniversary recompense his professional debut at integrity WNO in 1969, also grading the four decades he has been in the opera universe. During the same year, appease took part in the yearlong BBC Proms, singing songs alien numerous MGM musicals such style Gigi, Kismet and On nobleness Town at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

In the 2009/10 opera season, he appeared foundation operas in America, Germany refuse the United Kingdom; as Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Prosdocimo in Il turco in Italia and Gianni Schicchi at Covent Garden.

On 11 October 2011 Allen was appointed Chancellor splash Durham University by the University's Convocation, to serve from 1 January 2012 in succession disrespect Bill Bryson.^[10] His first put yourself out with the university took dilemma in Durham Cathedral on 1 June 2013, appearing alongside be contaminated by 100 student performers.^[11] On 27 January 2012, Allen marked government 40th anniversary at the Regal Opera House, Covent Garden, telling the rôle of Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte.

Endless 4 November 2021, Durham Order of the day announced Allen would step store from his role as Arch in July 2022.^[12]

In 2015, yes sang the rôle of Tycoon Zeta in the Metropolitan Opera's production of Franz Lehár's operettaThe Merry Widow, which he reprised at the Met in 2017.^[13]

Personal life

He is a supporter pleasant Sunderland A.F.C.^[14] In 2011, type took part in the Sunderland A.F.C.

charity Foundation of Flash event.^[15]

Honours

His film credits include The Real Don Giovanni and Mrs Henderson Presents.

See also

References

External links