Jonathan Summers (born 2 October 1946) is an Australian operatic baritone who has mainly worked in the United Kingdom. He sang the role of Captain Balstrode in the 1980 recording of Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes which won a Grammy award for Best Opera recording.
Summers was born in Melbourne, where he studied art at Prahran Technical College (1964–9) and trained as a vocalist with Bettine McCaughan (1964–74). [1] From 1970 to 1974, he worked as a technical operator and recording engineer with the Radio Division of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In September 1973 he won the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition. [2] He followed with winning the Sun Aria competition in the next month. [3] The same year he won the television talent quest BP Showcase. [4] In 1974, he moved to London, where he studied with Otakar Kraus until 1980.
Summers's professional debut in opera took place in 1975, when he sang the title role in Rigoletto with Kent Opera. He was a member of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, from 1976 to 1986, singing such roles as Albert in Werther , the Animal Tamer in the British premiere of the three-act version of Lulu , Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream , Papageno in The Magic Flute , Ford in Falstaff , Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and Marcello in La bohème . He has also appeared with English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera North and Welsh National Opera.
Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and gaining the nickname "King of the High Cs".
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s.
Franco Corelli was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, passionate singing and remarkable performances. Dubbed the "prince of tenors", audiences were enchanted by his handsome features and charismatic stage presence. He had a long and fruitful partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1961 and 1975. He also appeared on the stages of most of the major opera houses in Europe and with opera companies throughout North America.
Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa,, is a New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". On 1 December 1971 she was recognised internationally when she appeared as the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House in London.
Mary Violet Leontyne Price is an American spinto soprano who was the first African-American soprano to receive international acclaim. From 1961 she began a long association with the Metropolitan Opera. She regularly appeared at the world's major opera houses, including the Royal Opera House, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and La Scala; at La Scala, she was also the first African American to sing a leading role. She was particularly renowned for her performances of the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida.
Yvonne Fay Minton CBE is an Australian-born but mostly British-resident opera singer. She is variously billed as a soprano, mezzo-soprano or contralto.
June Mary Bronhill, also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress,
Yvonne Kenny AM is an Australian soprano, particularly associated with Handel, Mozart and bel canto roles.
Jean Ethel "Jeannie" Lewis is an Australian musician and stage performer whose work covers many different styles such as folk, jazz, Latin, blues, opera, rock and fusion. Her music often includes a strong social consciousness and political statements. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described her as "one of the most enigmatic and expressive, yet underrated singers Australia has ever produced... Always able to adapt her emotional and dramatic voice to suit a range of moods and styles."
Peter Allen was an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer, known for his flamboyant stage persona, energetic performances, and lavish costumes. Allen's songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, including Newton-John's first chart-topping hit "I Honestly Love You", and the chart-topping and Academy Award-winning "Arthur's Theme " by Christopher Cross. In addition to recording many albums, Allen enjoyed a cabaret and concert career, including appearances at the Radio City Music Hall riding a camel. His patriotic song "I Still Call Australia Home", has been used extensively in advertising campaigns, and was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2013.
Robyn Archer, AO, CdOAL is an Australian singer, writer, stage director, artistic director, and public advocate of the arts, in Australia and internationally.
The Canberra Academy of Music and Related Arts was a community organization dedicated to performance and training in music and theatre for the community of Canberra, Australia.
James Billings was an American operatic baritone, librettist, and opera director. He began his career in the late 1950s in Boston and later became a member of the New York City Opera where he performed regularly from the early 1970s through the 1990s. A specialist in the comprimario repertoire, he has portrayed more than 175 opera roles on stage during his long career. Billings has also written librettos for numerous operas for children and since the mid-1990s has directed several opera productions.
Joan Carden AO OBE is an Australian operatic soprano. She has been described as "a worthy successor to Dame Nellie Melba and Dame Joan Sutherland" and was sometimes known as "the other Joan" or "The People's Diva". She was a Principal Soprano with Opera Australia for 32 years, and was particularly associated with the title roles of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca and Madama Butterfly. However, she sang over 50 other roles, from the 18th century, including virtually all the Mozart heroines, through to works by contemporary composers.
Glenys Rae Fowles AM is an Australian operatic soprano who sang with Opera Australia and its predecessors for many years. She also sang at Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, and for the New York City Opera, San Diego Opera, and Scottish Opera. She also appeared at the BBC Proms and with the New York Philharmonic. Her recording with Heather Begg of the "Flower Duet" from Delibes's Lakmé has become famous.
Michele Fawdon (1947–2011) was an English-born Australian actress and singer. She is known for her roles in TV serials Matlock Police (1971–1974), The Unisexers (1975) and A Country Practice. In 1979 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child (1979) and Australian Film Institute Award for Best Lead Actress for a Telefeature for The Fish Are Safe (1986) in 1987. She died of an unspecified cancer.
Amelia Farrugia is an Australian soprano opera singer of Maltese descent. She won awards in the Sydney Eisteddfod and the 1996 Australian Singing Competition, and the 1995 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York where she covered leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera in 2012 and 2015. She was a finalist at the Neue Stimmen competition in Germany in 2001.
Diego Antonio Torre Villegas is a Mexican and Australian opera singer. He is a resident singer in the Sydney Opera House (Australia).
Fiona Janes is an international Australian mezzo-soprano and Arts Administrator.
The Shell Aria, originally Shell Open Aria, contest was an Australian vocal competition for young classical opera singers, held annually in Canberra from 1955 to 1986, named for and sponsored by, Shell Australia in conjunction with the Australian National Eisteddfod Society.