Thomas Jamerson

Last updated

Thomas Jamerson is an American baritone who had an active international career as an opera and concert performer from the 1960s through the 1990s. He first drew distinction in the field of opera in 1968 when he recorded the role of Baron Douphol in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata for RCA with conductor Georges Prêtre, the RCA Italiana Orchestra, and Montserrat Caballe as Violetta and Carlo Bergonzi as Alfredo. In 1969 he portrayed roles in the United States premieres of two operas at the Santa Fe Opera: Der Auserwählte (The Chosen One) in Arnold Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter and Captain of the Royal Guard in Hans Werner Henze's The Bassarids . He was a principal artist with the New York City Opera from 1969 to 1984. In 1971 he notably created the role of Professor Bolental in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man . He currently teaches voice on the faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester in White Plains, New York.

Contents

Life and career

Born in Louisiana, Jamerson graduated in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Louisiana State University where he studied with Loren Davidson. [1] He went on to earn a Master of Music in vocal performance from LSU in 1966, and studied with Cornelius L. Reid in New York City. In 1965 he was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and he performed Giorgio's aria "Di Provenza il mar, il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò?" from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata in concert at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 28, 1965. [2] In 1966 he made his professional opera debut as Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with the Metropolitan Opera National Company, performing the role in more than 70 cities throughout the United States. [3]

In the late 1960s, Jamerson apprenticed with the Santa Fe Opera (SFO). [4] He notably portrayed the role of Der Auserwählte (The Chosen One) in the United States premiere of Arnold Schoenberg's Die Jakobsleiter and the role of the Captain of the Royal Guard in the United States premiere of Hans Werner Henze's The Bassarids with the SFO in 1969. [5] [6] He had first drawn distinction in the field of opera a year earlier when he recorded the role of Baron Douphol in Giuseppe Verdi's La traviata for RCA with conductor Georges Prêtre, the RCA Italiana Orchestra, and Montserrat Caballe as Violetta and Carlo Bergonzi as Alfredo in 1968. [7]

Jamerson relocated to New York City, and made his New York opera debut with the New York City Opera in March 1969 as Silvio in Pagliacci. [8] He sang with the American Opera Society in 1969 as Nevers in Giacomo Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots with Beverly Sills as Margaret of Valois at Carnegie Hall. [9] In 1970 he performed the role of Gadshill in Gustav Holst's At the Boar's Head with The Little Orchestra Society and conductor Thomas Scherman at David Geffen Hall. [10] That same year he returned to the NYCO as Monsieur de Brétigny in Jules Massenet's Manon in March 1970 at the David H. Koch Theater with Carol Neblett in the title role and Julius Rudel conducting. [11] He continued to perform with the NYCO for 15 consecutive seasons, appearing in both leading and supporting roles like Sharpless in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly , [12] Marcello in Puccini's La bohème, [13] Valentin in Charles Gounod's Faust , [14] and Harlequin in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos [15] among many others. In 1971 he created the role of Professor Bolental in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man with the NYCO. [16] He notably re-creeated one of the roles in his NYCO repertoire, Pish‐Tush in Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado , in the 1978 film Foul Play starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. [17] In 1983 he represented the City Opera's soloist employees who were members of the American Guild of Musical Artists in highly publicized labor dispute meetings with the NYCO orchestra, the NYCO governing board, and the New York State Department of Labor. [18] His final performance with the NYCO was as Schaunard in Puccini's La bohème in 1984. [19]

In addition to performing with the NYCO, Jamerson also performed in operas with the Baltimore Opera Company, Canadian Opera Company, the Opera Company of Boston, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In his later career, he has dedicated most of his time to teaching voice on the faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester and working as a church musician at Grace Episcopal Church in White Plains, New York. At Grace Episcopal Church he performed the title role in Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde (1998) and the Bishop in the East Coast premiere of Stephen Paulus'a The Three Hermits (1999). [20] [21]

Opera roles with New York City Opera

Concert work

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enrico Di Giuseppe</span> American tenor

Enrico Di Giuseppe was a celebrated American operatic tenor who had an active performance career from the late 1950s through the 1990s. He spent most of his career performing in New York City, juggling concurrent performance contracts with both the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera during the 1970s and 1980s. In the latter part of his career, he was active with the New York Grand Opera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Wolff</span> American mezzo-soprano

Beverly Wolff was an American mezzo-soprano who had an active career in concerts and operas from the early 1950s to the early 1980s. She performed a broad repertoire which encompassed operatic and concert works in many languages and from a variety of musical periods. She was a champion of new works, notably premiering compositions by Leonard Bernstein, Gian Carlo Menotti, Douglas Moore, and Ned Rorem among other American composers. She also performed in a number of rarely heard baroque operas by George Frideric Handel with the New York City Opera (NYCO), the Handel Society of New York, and at the Kennedy Center Handel Festivals.

James Billings 1932-2022 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.

Arthur Newman was an American operatic baritone and actor. He began his career as a stage actor in St. Louis in the early 1930s and in 1939 began an opera career. He was notably a member of the New York City Opera between 1945 and 1959 during which time he performed in more than 1,300 performances with the company in over 50 roles.

Jean Kraft was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. She began her career singing with the New York City Opera (NYCO) during the early 1960s, after which she embarked on a partnership with The Santa Fe Opera from 1965 through 1987. In 1970 she joined the roster of singers at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she remained a fixture until 1989. She also performed as a guest of many other opera companies throughout the United States. In 2005 Opera News called her "a gifted mezzo and observant, imaginative actress who lent distinction to a wide range of character roles. By the end of her Met tenure, she had sung nearly 800 performances and become a solid audience favorite."

Paul Ukena was an American operatic baritone and musical theatre actor who had an active career from the 1940s through the 1970s. After beginning his career entertaining American troops as a part of the Special Services during World War II, his first critical success was as the baritone soloist in the American premiere of Frederick Delius's Requiem in 1950. He was one of the founding members of the NBC Opera Theatre, a company he performed with throughout the 1950s in such productions as Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and the world premiere of Norman Dello Joio's The Trial at Rouen.

William Chapman was an American operatic baritone and stage actor. He appeared in several Broadway productions and was notably a leading performer at the New York City Opera from 1957 through 1979.

Lee Venora is an American operatic soprano and musical theater actress. She was highly active with the New York City Opera between 1957 and 1967 and a regular performer at the San Francisco Opera between 1961 and 1966. She also appeared in a few Broadway musicals, Lincoln Center revivals, and national tours of musicals during her career. Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein was an admirer of her voice, and she performed with him and the New York Philharmonic on a number of occasions during the late 1950s and early 1960s. She also sang with the orchestra on a couple of recordings and appears on a few musical recordings as well.

The Handel Society of New York (HSNY) was a New York City based musical organization that presented concert and semi-staged performances of operas and oratorios by George Frideric Handel from 1966-1974. The group mainly performed out of Carnegie Hall and was responsible for presenting the American and New York premieres of several works by Handel. The ensemble was also the first to record many of these works; releasing several LPs for RCA and Westminster Records.

John Harger Stewart is an American tenor, conductor, and voice teacher who had an active international singing career in concerts and operas from 1964 to 1990. He began his career singing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s; after which he appeared only periodically in Santa Fe up through the mid-1980s. He was particularly active with the New York City Opera during the 1970s and 1980s, and with the Frankfurt Opera from the mid-1970s through 1990. He also appeared as a guest artist with several other important American opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Washington National Opera, and at other European opera houses like the De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Grand Théâtre de Genève in Switzerland, and the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland. Now retired from singing, he is currently the Director of Vocal Activities at Washington University in St. Louis where he also teaches singing and conducts student opera productions and choirs. He also serves as the opera conductor at the Johanna Meier Opera Theater Institute at Black Hills State University.

Elaine Bonazzi was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career from the 1950s through the 1990s. A singer with an unusually broad repertoire that encompassed both classical and contemporary works, she notably created roles in the world premieres of operas by composers Dominick Argento, David Carlson, Carlisle Floyd, Gian Carlo Menotti, Thomas Pasatieri, and Ned Rorem. In the United States she was particularly active with the New York City Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Washington National Opera.

Francesca Roberto is an American operatic soprano. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she sang leading roles throughout the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s.

Joy Davidson was an American operatic mezzo-soprano, actress, and pedagogue. She performed internationally in many of the world's great opera houses.

Kathryn Day is an American opera singer who has had an active international career spanning five decades. She began her career as a leading soprano under the name Kathryn Bouleyn in the 1970s and 1980s with companies like the New York City Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Opera Theater of Saint Louis. With the latter institution she created the role of Cora in the world premiere of Stephen Paulus' The Postman Always Rings Twice (1982).

Delores Ziegler is an American mezzo-soprano who has had an active international performance career since the late 1970s. A former resident artist at the Cologne Opera, she has performed leading roles with many of the world's best opera houses, including La Scala, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, and the Vienna State Opera. She is currently a professor of voice at the University of Maryland. While she has performed a broad repertoire, she is widely admired for her performances in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss; particularly Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Idamante in Idomeneo, and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier.

Andrea Velis was an American operatic tenor who had a lengthy association with the Metropolitan Opera that spanned 33 seasons. Considered a highly skilled character actor, he excelled in supporting roles, often to great comedic effect. His voice is preserved on several recordings made for Live from the Metropolitan Opera and the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.

John Lankston was an American tenor and actor who had a career in opera and musical theater from the 1950s through the 2000s. After making his Broadway debut in Redhead (1959), he went on to create the roles of Adolph and the Ziegfeld Tenor in Jule Styne's Funny Girl (1963) in which he was a featured soloist with Barbra Streisand. For his work, he and the rest of the main cast were awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album at the 7th Annual Grammy Awards. He was a regular performer with the New York City Opera from 1966 to 2001. His greatest success with the NYCO was his creation of the quintuple role of Voltaire/Pangloss/Businessman/Governor/Gambler in the 1982 revival of Leonard Bernstein's Candide which was directed by Hal Prince and filmed for national broadcast on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center. The company later recorded the production on disc, and Langston and the rest of the artists involved were awarded the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joaquin Romaguera</span> American tenor and actor (1932–2023)

Joaquin Fidel Romaguera was an American tenor and actor. A longtime performer with the New York City Opera from the 1960s through the 1980s, he notably created the role of Professor Risselberg in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Most Important Man in 1971. On Broadway he originated the role of Adolfo Pirelli in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979). He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Teddy in the 1987 Off-Broadway revival of Cole Porter's Gay Divorce. Other career milestones included portraying Nicolas Orsini in the world premiere of Alberto Ginastera's Bomarzo with the Opera Society of Washington, and appearing as Captain Pirzel in the United States premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten with conductor Sarah Caldwell and the Opera Company of Boston in 1982.

Joanna Mary Bruno, also known as Joanna Bruno-Clarke, is an American operatic soprano who had an active international career during the 1960s and 1970s. A lyric soprano, she often performed in operas by Giacomo Puccini and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Don Yule was an American operatic bass who performed regularly with the New York City Opera (NYCO) for fifty years. A graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, he joined the NYCO in 1960 where he made his debut as Gluttony in a revival of Hugo Weisgall’s Six Characters in Search of an Author. He went on to perform in a total of 83 roles with the NYCO in more than 1,700 performances, most often in comprimario parts. Some of the roles he was associated with included Alcindoro and Benoit in Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème, Antonio and Bartolo in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Dr. Grenvil in Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, and the Jailer and the Sacristan in Puccini's Tosca.

References

  1. ↑ LSU, BATON ROUGE LA., FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1963, Graduation Ceremonies . Retrieved March 19, 2021.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ National Council Concert. Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/28/1965 . Retrieved March 19, 2021.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ Martin Bernheimer (August 2006). "The Not-So-Grand Tour". Opera News . Vol. 71, no. 2. pp. 40–45.
  4. ↑ Donal Henahan (August 16, 1981). "Music View; A HEARTY MIX OF OPERA AND GREEN CHILIES". The New York Times .
  5. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (August 11, 1968). "Opera: Henze at Santa Fe". The New York Times .
  6. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (August 16, 1968). "Music: Schoenberg at Santa Fe Opera". The New York Times .
  7. ↑ Records in Review. University of California Press. 1968. p. 388.
  8. ↑ Robert T. Jones (March 1, 1969). "City Opera Records Good and Bad Night". The New York Times .
  9. ↑ Raymond Ericson (May 15, 1969). "MEYERBEER WORK IN CONCERT FORM". The New York Times .
  10. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (January 28, 1970). "Music: Double‐Bill of English Operas". The New York Times .
  11. ↑ Robert Sherman (March 16, 1970). "CITY OPERA SINGS REVISED'MANON';Three Major Parts Recast — Carol Neblett Pleases". The New York Times .
  12. ↑ John Rockwell (March 11, 1973). THOMAS JAMERSON IN SHARPLESS ROLE.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  13. ↑ Raymond Ericson (February 24, 1974). Spring 'La Boheme' At City Opera.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. ↑ Allen Hughes (September 22, 1974). Opera: Strong 'Faust' by City Troupe.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  15. ↑ John Rockwell (September 29, 1974). Opera: Ariadne Is Back.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  16. ↑ Margaret Ross Griffel (2013). Operas In English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. p. 329. ISBN   9780810883253.
  17. ↑ Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross, Robert Connelly (1985). The Motion Picture Guide. Vol. 3. University of Virginia Press. ISBN   9780933997004.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ John Rockwell (August 16, 1983). STATE BOARD WILL STUDY DISPUTE AT CITY OPERA.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  19. ↑ Will Crutchfield (July 9, 1984). MUSIC: CITY OPERA PRESENTS PUCCINI'S 'BOHEME'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  20. ↑ Robert Sherman (April 19, 1998). "MUSIC; 'Cinderella,' Musical, At Library". The New York Times .
  21. ↑ Robert Sherman (April 25, 1999). "MUSIC; Bel Canto Returns to Caramoor". The New York Times .
  22. ↑ Robert Sherman (April 24, 1972). CAV' AND PAG' ENLISTS TWO NEW HEROINES.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ Robert Sherman (March 16, 1970). "CITY OPERA SINGS REVISED'MANON';Three Major Parts Recast — Carol Neblett Pleases". The New York Times .
  24. ↑ Theodore Strongin (April 13, 1970). "City Opera Presents Bright 'Ismailova'". The New York Times .
  25. ↑ Donal Henahan (September 22, 1983). "MUSIC: CITY OPERA OFFERS 'CENDRILLON'". The New York Times .
  26. ↑ "Miss Craig Pleases In City Opera Debut". The New York Times . April 6, 1971.
  27. ↑ Bernard Holland (September 25, 1983). "CITY OPERA: SEASON'S FIRST 'LA BOHEME'". The New York Times .
  28. ↑ Raymond Ericson (April 10, 1971). "Clatworthy Plays City Opera Renato". The New York Times .
  29. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (February 23, 1973). City Opera Starts Its Season With 'Der Rosenkavalier'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  30. ↑ John Rockwell (March 11, 1973). THOMAS JAMERSON IN SHARPLESS ROLE.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  31. ↑ Donal Henahan (March 29, 1973). Opera: Neblett's Poppea.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  32. ↑ Raymond Ericson (April 22, 1973). CITY STANDBYS SING IN LAST 'YOUNG LORD'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  33. ↑ Allen Hughes (October 8, 1973). "'Village Romeo and Juliet' Sparkles at City Opera". The New York Times .
  34. ↑ Raymond Ericson (February 24, 1974). Spring 'La Boheme' At City Opera.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  35. ↑ Raymond Ericson (March 18, 1974). 'Mikado' Is a First for State Theater.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  36. ↑ Allen Hughes (September 22, 1974). Opera: Strong 'Faust' by City Troupe.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  37. ↑ John Rockwell (September 29, 1974). Opera: Ariadne Is Back.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  38. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (October 6, 1974). Opera: City Troupe Returns With Half‐Hearted Don 'Giovanni'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  39. ↑ Allen Hughes (February 22, 1975). Opera: Lavish 'Turandot'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  40. ↑ Allen Hughes (September 8, 1975). Music: Welcome Tenor.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  41. ↑ Donal Henahan (October 2, 1981). "CITY OPERA: PATRICIA MILLER AS CARMEN". The New York Times .
  42. ↑ Peter G. Davis (September 13, 1976). Opera: Strauss.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  43. ↑ Jerry L. McBride (2011). Douglas Moore: A Bio-bibliography. A-R Editions.
  44. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg (October 17, 1977). Opera: 'La Fanciulla del West'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  45. ↑ Raymond Ericson (February 24, 1979). City Opera: Andrea Chénier.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  46. ↑ Donal Henahan (February 20, 1981). OPERA: WILDERMANN IN 'MERRY WIVES'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  47. ↑ Peter G. Davis (July 5, 1981). "OPERA: OUTDOOR 'L'ELISIR'". The New York Times .
  48. ↑ Bernard Holland (July 19, 1982). PARK OPERA: 'LA TRAVIATA'.
  49. ↑ Donal Henahan (September 8, 1982). CITY OPERA: 'MERRY WIDOW'.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  50. ↑ Donal Henahan (September 15, 1982). OPERA: MILNES SINGS 'HAMLET' LEAD.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  51. ↑ Raymond Ericson (April 25, 1971). "Hartford Symphony Excels in Mahler". The New York Times .
  52. ↑ Robert Sherman (March 9, 1997). A Choral Resurgence with Bach and Handel.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.