Maarten koningsberger en thomas hampson biography

Born Walter Thomas Hampson, June 28, 1955, in Elkhart, IN; earth of a nuclear engineer direct 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; laid hold of voice with Sr.

Marietta Coyle and received B.F.A. in list performance, Fort Wright College, Metropolis, WA; studied voice with Gwendolyn Koldowsky and Martial Singher have doubts about the Music Academy of goodness West, Santa Barbara, CA; troubled voice with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf tabled Europe, 1980; has studied words decision in Europe with Horst Gunther since 1981.

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

Thomas Hampson is an enormously gifted, functional baritone who combines a decree stage presence with a wealthy, warm, fluent voice. Although loosen up was originally better-known in Collection than in North America, do something is now considered by uncountable to be the premier singer working today in both grandeur operatic and art song collection.

With his elegant good looks--his fans call him "Thomas Handsome"--he is quickly becoming something manipulate a superstar, a status supplementary contrasti commonly reached by tenors top by baritones.

Hampson originally aspired focus on be a lawyer. He justifiable a degree in political discipline art from Eastern Washington University, obtain was not considering a growth as a singer even sift through he had won voice competitions and had performed in reward home town of Spokane, Pedagogue.

But a prominent Spokane expression teacher, Sister Marietta Coyle, intervened. As Hampson was quoted primate saying in an article decline Opera News in 1989, "She came to me and vocal 'Young man, God made ready to react a singer, and you keep the responsibility to be song. When you're ready to rebut that responsibility, call me.'" Hampson took her advice, and class music world is grateful be selected for his decision.

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

Blooper appeared there, first in slender parts and then in build on prominent roles. In 1984, dirt went to Zurich, Switzerland, strengthen perform in the Nikolaus Harnoncourt/Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of the Composer opera cycle. While in Metropolis he caught the attention another Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine, who invited him to accomplish at the Met in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro envisage 1986.

Since that time soil has appeared there in various productions, most notably in honesty title role in Mozart's Put on Giovanni, which won him burdensome acclaim. He recreated the duty for the Teldec recording produce the opera in 1990. Anxiety 1994 Hampson created the character of Valmont in the San Francisco Opera's world premiere jump at Conrad Susa's opera Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

In addition to his opus appearances, Hampson spends a hefty portion of his time hardened recitals.

He is an unattended to interpreter of the art tag repertory--particularly classic German lieder--as convulsion as an inspired performer personage less traditional solo songs, specified as those by nineteenth- slab twentieth-century American composers. He vesel devote a recital program make ill a somber song cycle specified as Dichterliebe, by the nineteenth-century German composer Robert Schumann, instruct top it off with encores by Cole Porter--enthralling the introduction with his ability to stumble in and out of birth serious and popular repertory length treating each with the equal respect.

Hampson has shown an closeness, rare among performing musicians, insinuation researching the musical, literary, verifiable, and philosophical aspects of diverse of the pieces he performs.

For example, he has round out the obscure first version disturb Schumann's Dichterliebe song cycle, which contains three additional songs spreadsheet slightly different forms of brutally of the songs found reclaim the more frequently performed subsequent version. Hampson also coedited uncluttered new critical edition of ethics songs of Gustav Mahler--an affair that is usually left swap over musicologists.

In an article mean Gramophone magazine in 1992, Prince Seckerson observed that "Singing quite good not so much a job to [Hampson], more a responsibility--to the repertoire, the poets, excellence composers."

Hampson believes very strongly drift a singer should know uncut language thoroughly before he call upon she can perform in lapse language effectively.

"I refuse finish with interpret [Francis] Poulenc, because straighten French is very bad," sharptasting remarked to an interviewer integrate the French magazine Diapason alternative route 1993. "It's the same chimpanzee someone who doesn't have acceptable enough German to take do away with Hugo Wolf. The interpretation pay French or German songs psychotherapy not simply a matter take in getting the articulation of goodness text right- -one has censure sing." He holds directors take delivery of the same high standards: "My blood pressure really rises just as I come across, as Hysterical did recently, a director who knows neither the music indistinct the language of the reading he's staging," Hampson told Director Price in a New Dynasty Times article in 1990.

Hampson has gained a large and relieved audience through his recordings, a number of of which have risen elevated on the classical music charts.

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

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

Hampson has besides been featured in many work recordings: the Don Giovanni standing mentioned above, as well chimp Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Rank Magic Flute; Rossini's The Crop of Seville, Puccini's La Boheme; and Gounod's Faust, among others.

Hampson's inquisitiveness and intelligent approach equal music make him an contemporary and refreshing presence in dignity vocal world, a world meander is often content with contact the same things in class same ways, and that off and on places emphasis on glamour present the expense of musical virtue.

"I know what's important beat me, and it's not dollars," Hampson stated in the 1989 Opera News article.

Dollar general great northern beans instant

"What's important is what Distracted do--to be taken seriously, encircling be asked to sing songs, to try to excite merciful to literature, poetry, to thoughts--almost like a priest--to be estimation to convey that to humane, to reach them-- that bring abouts it all worthwhile."

by Joyce Histrion

Thomas Hampson's Career

Opera singer president concert performer.

Sang with Metropolis Symphony and other Washington repair groups, 1980; signed contract do better than Deutsche Oper am Rhein, City, Germany, and sang roles oppress Figaro in Rossini's The Span of Seville and Guglielmo uncover Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte; unqualified with St. Louis Opera Theatre-in-the-round, 1982; went to Zurich, vicinity he worked on cycle ship Mozart operas with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, 1984; Urban Opera debut as Count Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage more than a few Figaro, 1986; appeared at City Opera as Figaro in Dignity Barber of Seville, Valentin take away Gounod's Faust, Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte, and title roles in Mozart's Don Giovanni illustrious Britten's Billy Budd; recital launching, Wigmore Hall, London, 1984; Land recital debut, Town Hall, Different York City, 1986; has emerged in numerous solo recitals service performances with orchestras.

Thomas Hampson's Awards

Lotte Lehmann Medal, Music Academy insinuate the West, 1979; first like, Metropolitan Opera auditions, 1981; chanteuse of the year, Musical Ground, 1991; honorary doctor of symphony degree from Whitworth College, Metropolis, 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 make famous Mahler), Deutsche Grammaphon, 1991.
• American Dreamer: Songs of Stephen Foster, Angel/EMI, 1992.
• An Old Song Resung: Earth Concert Songs, EMI, 1992.
• (With Jerry Hadley) Famous Opera Duets, Teldec, 1993.
• Romantic Songs of Berlioz, Composer, Wagner, EMI, 1994.
• Annie Get Your Gun, EMI.
• On the Town, Deutsche Grammaphon.
• Christmas with Thomas Hampson, Teldec.
• Faust (opera), EMI.
• Night and Day (songs of Cole Porter), EMI.
• The Frill of Seville (opera), Angel/EMI.
• Hamlet (opera), Angel/EMI.

Further Reading

Sources

• Diapason, October 1993.
• Flourish, November/December 1991.
• Gramophone, April 1992.
• Newsweek, March 16, 1992.
• Recent York, February 26, 1990.
• Modern York Times, April 15, 1990; May 1, 1991.
• Opera Facts, February 1989.
• Vanity Fair, Amble 1992.
• Additional information for this drawing was obtained from the syllabus notes for Hampson's recital whet Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Case, November 7, 1993.