Acclaimed Tenor Gary Rideout Dead at 55
Canadian tenor Gary Rideout, 55, passed away Sept. 29 after a brief illness. Critically acclaimed as one of the world’s leading character tenors, he performed for many seasons at the Met, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington National, Tel Aviv, Strasbourg, Adelaide, Santiago, Arizona, and Canadian operas. Opera lovers in the Southwest will never forget his Loge in Arizona Opera’s 1996 and 1998 performances of Der Ring des Nibelungen.
In recent years Rideout had moved into the heldentenor repertoire, performing the title role of Siegfried first at the Kirov Opera in 2003, and the next year with the State Opera of South Australia. The latter performance is available on Melba Recordings (MR301095-98), praised in CD Review for Rideout’s “youthful lyric singing of the highest order.” Other recordings include the original cast recording of Dead Man Walking on Erato (86238-2), in which he created the role of Howard Boucher.
Rideout resided in Sarasota, Fla. Memorial services will be later this year, and a scholarship for transitioning artists is being established in his name. You can make donations and inquiries to the Artist Series of Sarasota/Gary Rideout Scholarship at info@artistseries.net.
www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/10/05/obit-opera-rideout.html
www.newcentury.nu/rideout.html
www.garyrideout.biz
Dawn Upshaw Receives a Major Award
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced that soprano Dawn Upshaw is one of its 2007 fellows, reports npr.org. She received the award for her efforts to expand the boundaries of opera and enrich the landscape of contemporary music. Upshaw has sung traditional operatic roles, such as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, but has also devoted a great deal of her time to new music by such composers as John Harbison, Kaija Saariaho, and John Adams.
Moreover, Upshaw has spent time and energy advocating the works of emerging composers and brought them before the public. She breaks down stylistic barriers and is a model for performers who want to be directly involved in the creation of new music, said the report.
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14687191
www.macfound.org/…/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7BFF9BCBF0-EEF9-431A-AE30-797D9D5E93E4%7D¬oc=1
www.blog.oregonlive.com/classicalmusic/2007/09/dawn_upshaw_wins_a_macarthur_g.html
Opera Invades the Baseball Park
Sports fans usually go to the baseball stadium for a game, but on Sept. 28, thousands of opera lovers went to AT&T park in San Francisco for a free, grand slam rendition of Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah. The performance, displayed on a huge video screen, starred Olga Borodina and Clifton Forbis. Many of the fans said they enjoyed the unusual combination of hot dogs, beer, and classical music.
San Francisco Opera’s David Gockley is anxious to popularize opera and has already put performances on big screens outside auditoriums in both Houston and the city by the bay, reports ksl.com.
www.ksl.com/?nid=154&sid=1882440
www.blog.wired.com/underwire/2007/09/opera-at-the-ba.html
www.seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/1403AP_BBO_Ballpark_Opera.html
Defense Lawyer Dershowitz Writes Libretto for an Opera
Alan Dershowitz, prominent criminal lawyer, passionate civil libertarian, and best selling author, has written the libretto for an opera, says alandershowitz.com. His subject is the life of Gerson Sirota, the once-famous Warsaw cantor who refused a Nazi offer of safe passage to the United States. Instead, he remained in the ghetto with his congregation and died during the Passover of 1943.
Dershowitz is searching for a musical collaborator who will help him construct a score based on Jewish liturgical themes, said the report.
www.alandershowitz.com/
www.mindypollack.com/alan_dershowitz.htm
Bayreuth May Get a Young Artist Program
If Katharina Wagner, one of Richard Wagner’s great-granddaughters, succeeds in taking over the Bayreuth Festival, she plans on starting a Young Artist Program there, reports the British newspaper The Guardian. She has teamed up with conductor Christian Thielemann with the intention of opening a summer academy for singers, stage directors, conductors, and composers. They hope a summer academy will improve standards at the famous 131-year-old festival.
Katharina, one of three great-grandchildren vying for the position, is the daughter of current director Wolfgang Wagner and is much younger than the other two candidates.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2175607,00.html
www.focus.de/kultur/kino_tv/bayreuth_aid_65321.html
Robinson and O’Leary to Join Opera Theatre of St. Louis
The Opera Theatre of St. Louis recently named stage director James Robinson to the post of artistic director, according to Opera News. Robinson replaces the late Colin Graham, who had held the post since 1985. The company has also named Timothy O’Leary to a newly created position, executive director.
Robinson has been artistic director of Opera Colorado for the past seven years. O’Leary comes to St. Louis from the New York City Opera, where he was director of operations.
General Director Charles MacKay and Music Director Stephen Lord retain their positions at OTSL.
www.opera-stl.org/Default.aspx
www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/news/pressrelease.aspx?id=1458
