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.
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, , born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 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.
Jonathan Stewart Vickers,, known professionally as Jon Vickers, was a Canadian heldentenor.
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.
The Herald Sun Aria, formerly known as The Sun Aria is a vocal competition for emerging opera singers held in Victoria, Australia, each year. The competition offers nearly $60,000 in cash prizes.
Sir Thomas Boaz Allen is an English operatic baritone. He is widely admired in the opera world for his voice, the versatility of his repertoire, and his acting—leading many to regard him as one of the best lyric baritones of the late 20th century. From 2012 to 2022 he served as Chancellor of Durham University.
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.
Robyn Archer, AO, CdOAL is an Australian singer, writer, stage director, artistic director, and public advocate of the arts, in Australia and internationally.
Antoinette Halloran is an Australian operatic soprano.
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.
Morag Beaton was a Scottish-Australian dramatic soprano who established her reputation as Turandot, a role she sang in Australia more than any other soprano to date. She also sang Tatiana, Venus (Tannhäuser), Abigaille (Nabucco), Eboli Santuzza and many other roles. Her operatic career in Australia was relatively brief, lasting only from 1965 until 1983, with a final recital at the Sydney Opera House in 1983.
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.