Derek Lee Ragin facts for kids
Derek Lee Ragin (born June 17, 1958) is a famous American countertenor. A countertenor is a male singer who can sing in a very high voice, similar to a female soprano or mezzo-soprano. He is known for his amazing voice and has performed in many operas and concerts around the world.
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Derek Ragin was born in West Point, New York. He grew up in Newark, New Jersey. His journey into music started early. He began his voice training with the Newark Boys Chorus.
He later studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. There, he focused on piano and music education. He also took singing lessons. While at Oberlin, he performed in his first opera. It was A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten. After college, he went to Europe. He wanted to build his career in Baroque opera. This is a style of opera from the 1600s and 1700s.
Winning Awards and Performing
Derek Ragin became well-known by winning several important awards. In 1983, he won the Purcell-Britten Prize in England. He also won a special award in Monte Carlo in 1988. In 1986, he won First Prize at a big music competition in Munich, Germany.
His first performance in London was in 1984. He sang at Wigmore Hall. He also performed in the musical Carmen Jones in 1986. In 1988, he made his debut at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York. He sang in George Frideric Handel's opera Giulio Cesare. He also gave a concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1991. In 1990, he performed at the Salzburg Festival. This is a very important music festival in Austria. He sang in the opera Orfeo ed Euridice.
Recordings and Film Work
Derek Ragin has released many recordings. In 1991, he released an album of spiritual songs. It was called Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit. He recorded it with Moses Hogan and his group.
He also won a Grammy Award for his recording of Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. He recorded this with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Another recording, Giulio Cesare, won a Gramophone Award in 1992. This is a major award for classical music recordings.
In 1994, his voice was used in the film Farinelli. This movie was about a famous 18th-century singer. For the film, his voice was mixed with a soprano singer's voice. This created a unique sound. The film Farinelli won a Golden Globe Award in 1995. The soundtrack also won an award in Cannes.
He has recorded for many different music labels. These recordings include Italian lute songs and Handel cantatas. He also recorded the opera Orfeo ed Euridice. He sang the role of Orfeo on this recording.
