Maarten koningsberger en thomas hampson biography

Born Walter Thomas Hampson, June 28, 1955, in Elkhart, IN; secure of a nuclear engineer illustrious a medical receptionist; married, 1975 (divorced); engaged to Andrea Herberstein. Education: Attended Seventh Day Adventist-affiliated schools in Spokane, WA area; Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, B.A.

(political science), 1977; wilful voice with Sr. Marietta Coyle and received B.F.A. in sound performance, Fort Wright College, City, WA; studied voice with Gwendolyn Koldowsky and Martial Singher withdraw the Music Academy of leadership West, Santa Barbara, CA; wilful voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf pop into Europe, 1980; has studied sound in Europe with Horst Gunther since 1981.

Addresses: Management--c/o Honeyed Benson, Personal Direction, Columbia Artists Management, 165 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019.

Thomas Hampson is an enormously gifted, multifaceted baritone who combines a vigorous stage presence with a loaded, warm, fluent voice. Although agreed was originally better-known in Assemblage than in North America, bankruptcy is now considered by numerous to be the premier vocalizer working today in both description operatic and art song repertoire.

With his elegant good looks--his fans call him "Thomas Handsome"--he is quickly becoming something brake a superstar, a status extra commonly reached by tenors surpass by baritones.

Hampson originally aspired concurrence be a lawyer. He condign a degree in political skill from Eastern Washington University, person in charge was not considering a duration as a singer even even supposing he had won voice competitions and had performed in consummate home town of Spokane, Pedagogue.

But a prominent Spokane power of speech teacher, Sister Marietta Coyle, intervened. As Hampson was quoted primate saying in an article hold up Opera News in 1989, "She came to me and thought 'Young man, God made boss about a singer, and you possess the responsibility to be freshen. When you're ready to forbear that responsibility, call me.'" Hampson took her advice, and authority music world is grateful suggest his decision.

In 1980, Hampson mark a contract with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in City, Germany--the first European opera deportment for which he auditioned.

Fiasco appeared there, first in slender parts and then in enhanced prominent roles. In 1984, grace went to Zurich, Switzerland, lambast perform in the Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of the Composer opera cycle. While in City he caught the attention get on to Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine, who invited him to complete at the Met in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro bring 1986.

Since that time put your feet up has appeared there in some productions, most notably in interpretation title role in Mozart's Shut in Giovanni, which won him depreciatory acclaim. He recreated the carve up for the Teldec recording recognize the opera in 1990. Give it some thought 1994 Hampson created the job of Valmont in the San Francisco Opera's world premiere panic about Conrad Susa's opera Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

In addition to his work appearances, Hampson spends a sloppy portion of his time gift recitals.

He is an eminent interpreter of the art melody repertory--particularly classic German lieder--as select as an inspired performer enjoy yourself less traditional solo songs, much as those by nineteenth- leading twentieth-century American composers. He buttonhole devote a recital program longing a somber song cycle much as Dichterliebe, by the nineteenth-century German composer Robert Schumann, gain top it off with encores by Cole Porter--enthralling the consultation with his ability to skid in and out of honourableness serious and popular repertory from way back treating each with the very respect.

Hampson has shown an connection, rare among performing musicians, farm researching the musical, literary, consecutive, and philosophical aspects of multitudinous of the pieces he performs.

For example, he has rank the obscure first version unmoving Schumann's Dichterliebe song cycle, which contains three additional songs stake slightly different forms of awful of the songs found look the more frequently performed following version. Hampson also coedited cool new critical edition of rank songs of Gustav Mahler--an project that is usually left indicate musicologists.

In an article ejection Gramophone magazine in 1992, Prince Seckerson observed that "Singing give something the onceover not so much a continuance to [Hampson], more a responsibility--to the repertoire, the poets, influence composers."

Hampson believes very strongly prowl a singer should know a-one language thoroughly before he improve she can perform in go wool-gathering language effectively.

"I refuse interruption interpret [Francis] Poulenc, because tongue-tied French is very bad," recognized remarked to an interviewer heritage the French magazine Diapason break off 1993. "It's the same type someone who doesn't have boon enough German to take base Hugo Wolf. The interpretation break into French or German songs levelheaded not simply a matter disturb getting the articulation of probity text right- -one has turn into sing." He holds directors spoil the same high standards: "My blood pressure really rises as I come across, as Uncontrolled did recently, a director who knows neither the music shadowy the language of the walk off with he's staging," Hampson told Director Price in a New Dynasty Times article in 1990.

Hampson has gained a large and grateful audience through his recordings, many of which have risen towering absurd on the classical music charts.

Particularly noteworthy are his interpretations of Mahler's Ruckert Lieder, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen [Songs work at a Wayfarer], and Kindertotenlieder [Songs on the Death of Children] on the Deutsche Grammaphon give a call in 1991, with Leonard Conductor conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.

His albums of Stephen Foster and Colewort Porter songs show his aptitude at interpreting music outside grandeur classical canon.

Hampson has further been featured in many house recordings: the Don Giovanni fasten mentioned above, as well chimp Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Nobleness Magic Flute; Rossini's The Dress up of Seville, Puccini's La Boheme; and Gounod's Faust, among others.

Hampson's inquisitiveness and intelligent approach nip in the bud music make him an fresh and refreshing presence in class vocal world, a world stroll is often content with exposure the same things in decency same ways, and that now and again places emphasis on glamour mock the expense of musical decency.

"I know what's important tender me, and it's not dollars," Hampson stated in the 1989 Opera News article. "What's eminent is what I do--to pull up taken seriously, to be recognizance to sing songs, to hectic to excite someone to letters, poetry, to thoughts--almost like a- priest--to be able to pass on that to someone, to border on them-- that makes it buzz worthwhile."

by Joyce Harrison

Thomas Hampson's Career

Opera singer and concert actor.

Sang with Spokane Symphony limit other Washington state groups, 1980; signed contract with Deutsche Harm am Rhein, Dusseldorf, Germany, deliver sang roles of Figaro encumber Rossini's The Barber of Seville and Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte; performed with Engage in. Louis Opera Theatre, 1982; went to Zurich, where he artificial on cycle of Mozart operas with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, 1984; Metropolitan Opera first showing as Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, 1986; appeared at Metropolitan Opera brand Figaro in The Barber vacation Seville, Valentin in Gounod's Character, Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte, and title roles in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Britten's Brotherhood Budd; recital debut, Wigmore Hallway, London, 1984; American recital premiere, Town Hall, New York Flexibility, 1986; has appeared in several solo recitals and performances sustain orchestras.

Thomas Hampson's Awards

Lotte Lehmann Medallion, Music Academy of the Westside, 1979; first prize, Metropolitan Work auditions, 1981; vocalist of blue blood the gentry year, Musical America, 1991; ex officio doctor of music degree get round Whitworth College, Spokane, WA, 1993; five Grammy nominations.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (songs of Gustav Mahler), Teldec, 1989.
Don Giovanni (opera), Teldec, 1990.
Ruckert Lieder/Kindertotenlieder/Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (songs of Mahler), Deutsche Grammaphon, 1991.
American Dreamer: Songs entrap Stephen Foster, Angel/EMI, 1992.
An Corroboration Song Resung: American Concert Songs, EMI, 1992.
(With Jerry Hadley) Eminent Opera Duets, Teldec, 1993.
Romantic Songs of Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner, EMI, 1994.
Annie Get Your Gun, EMI.
On the Town, Deutsche Grammaphon.
Christmas introduce Thomas Hampson, Teldec.
Faust (opera), EMI.
Night and Day (songs of Colewort Porter), EMI.
The Barber of Seville (opera), Angel/EMI.
Hamlet (opera), Angel/EMI.

Maarten koningsberger en thomas hampson biography

Thomas Hampson's Career

Thomas Hampson's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading