Stephen Totter

Last updated

Stephen Totter was an American operatic baritone.

He was known for his formidable stage presence combined with excellent diction and interpretation. Born on May 3, 1963, Totter earned both a Bachelors and master's degree in French horn performance from West Virginia University and Duquesne University respectively. While studying the horn he was dually active as a singer, earning the title role in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at the age of nineteen.

He performed the title role in the premier recording of Leonardo Balada's Torquemada for baritone soloist, choir and orchestra. Totter's other roles include Papageno in Die Zauberflöte , Guglielmo in Così fan tutte , and Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro . Totter was also known as an avid recitalist giving performances throughout the country and also as an orchestral soloist. Until his death, he was an artist-lecturer in voice at Carnegie Mellon University . Stephen had a sports connection as he was related to former major league relief pitcher Mike Fetters. They are first cousins. Totter died on May 25, 2019. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphonium</span> Brass instrument

The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word εὔφωνος euphōnos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced". The euphonium is a valved instrument. Nearly all current models have piston valves, though some models with rotary valves do exist.

A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek βαρύτονος (barýtonos), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C (i.e. F2–F4) in choral music, and from the second G below middle C to the G above middle C (G2 to G4) in operatic music, but the range can extend at either end. Subtypes of baritone include the baryton-Martin baritone (light baritone), lyric baritone, Kavalierbariton, Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, baryton-noble baritone, and the bass-baritone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Henderson (baritone)</span> British opera singer

Roy Galbraith Henderson CBE was a British baritone singer, conductor and teacher.

A male soprano or boy treble is a young male singer with a voice in the soprano range, a range that is often still called the treble voice range no matter how old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Terfel</span> Welsh bass-baritone singer ( born 1965)

Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro, Leporello and Don Giovanni, and has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Puccini and Wagner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George London (bass-baritone)</span> Opera singer from Canada

George London was an American concert and operatic bass-baritone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermann Prey</span> German lyric baritone (1929–1998)

Hermann Prey was a German lyric baritone, who was equally at home in the Lied, operatic and concert repertoires. His American debut was in November 1952, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy, and his American recital debut took place in 1956, at New York's Carnegie Hall. As a Lieder singer, he was a gifted interpreter of Schubert, including his song-cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Die Winterreise and the collection of songs Schwanengesang, as well as of Robert Schumann, Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. He also appeared frequently as a soloist in Bach's Passions and Brahms' A German Requiem.

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. In October 2011, he was appointed Chancellor of Durham University, succeeding Bill Bryson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Gunn</span> American opera singer (born 1970)

Nathan T. Gunn is an American operatic baritone who performs regularly around the world. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he is currently a professor of voice.

Michael Chioldi is an American opera singer who has performed leading baritone roles in the opera houses and festivals of North and South America, Europe and Asia. He first appeared at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1995 when he was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Forsell</span> Swedish opera singer

Carl Johan Jacob Forsell, known as John Forsell, was a prominent Swedish baritone, opera administrator and teacher of voice. He was the leading baritone of the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) from 1896 to 1918, and thereafter sang roles periodically with the company until his last stage performance in 1938. From 1923б to 1939 he served as the director of the RSO. He also sang leading roles as a guest artist with opera companies internationally, drawing particular acclaim for his portrayal of the title character in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanford Sylvan</span> American opera singer

Sanford Sylvan was an American baritone.

Stephen Dickson was an American baritone who had an active career in operas and concerts from 1972 through 1990. He was active with the United States's most important opera companies during the 1980s, sharing the stage with many notable singers like Luciano Pavarotti, Jessye Norman, and Renata Scotto. He was particularly admired for his portrayal of Papageno in The Magic Flute, a role he sang throughout Europe and the United States. At the time of his premature death, Dickson had just reached the pinnacle of his career, having only recently gained a more substantial role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and with major European opera houses like the Royal Opera, London and the Bavarian State Opera among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Morgan</span> American bass-baritone

Mac Morgan was an American bass-baritone who had an active performance career in concerts and operas from the early 1940s until the mid-1970s. The Boston Globe described him as a singer "known for his rich tone and enviable diction". After retiring from the stage, he embarked on a second successful career as a voice teacher.

Donald Munro Bell is a Canadian bass-baritone and vocal pedagogue. For over four decades he actively performed in concerts and operas internationally. He retired from performance in 1994. As a vocal pedagogue he has researched and published studies on vocal acoustics and laryngeal function. He is the founder of the Vocal Arts Acoustical Research Group at the University of Calgary, where he currently serves on the voice faculty.

Liam Bonner is a retired professional opera singer (baritone) from Pittsburgh, PA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sorin Coliban</span> Musical artist

Sorin Coliban is a Romanian opera singer with an international career. His voice range is bass–baritone. He is known for the volume and projection of his voice, both of which help him to sing both bass and baritone roles. He is one of the few singers to have performed with two different voices in the same performance: bass-baritone and countertenor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Rhys Evans</span> Welsh singer

John Rhys Evans was a Welsh baritone noted for operatic roles including the leading man in the Merry Widow, the King in The Vagabond King, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro; Don Carlos in Ernani, and leading roles in L'elisir d'amore, Madame Butterfly, I Pagliacci, La Boheme, The Gypsy Baron, Carmen, Die Fledermaus and Don Giovanni. He sang more than 40 different roles in the course of his career, which lasted from his first public appearance in 1953 to 1994. He sang as a soloist at the Investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle in 1969.

William B. Murray was an American opera baritone, who performed in Europe from 1960 to 1990. According to the New Grove Dictionary of Opera he was "a stylish singer and a fine actor" who "excels in dramatic and character roles."

John Chest is an American baritone opera singer performing with leading opera companies around the world.

References

  1. "Stephen Totter: singer, voice coach who loved to live a fashionable life". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 29, 2019. Retrieved 2021-03-03.