Dermot Troy facts for kids

Dermot Troy (born 31 July 1927 – died 6 September 1962) was a talented Irish singer. He was a lyric tenor, which means he had a high, light, and flexible male singing voice. He was especially known for singing music by a famous composer named Mozart.

Dermot Troy's Life in Music

Early Life and First Steps

Dermot Troy was born in Tinahely, County Wicklow, Ireland. He grew up in Inchicore, a part of Dublin. When he was a young man, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1945. He left the R.A.F. in 1948. During his time there, he experienced a loud noise that affected his hearing in one ear.

In 1952, Dermot entered a singing contest. This competition was held when the movie The Great Caruso came out. Dermot won the Irish part of the contest. He then went to England for the finals and came in second place. This helped many people notice his amazing voice. He began to study singing with a well-known Italian tenor named Dino Borgioli. Soon, he started getting many singing jobs in England.

Becoming an Opera Star

A big moment for Dermot came in 1958. He was asked to sing important tenor roles at the Mannheim State Opera in Germany. This was a huge opportunity for him. In the same year, he sang a smaller role in an opera called La traviata at Covent Garden in London. He performed alongside the very famous singer Maria Callas. A live recording of one of these shows was later released.

Another great chance came in 1960. He was invited to sing at the important Hamburg State Opera, also in Germany. This showed how much his talent was recognized around the world.

His Legacy in Music

In June 1961, Dermot Troy became unwell. He returned to Dublin to get better. By April 1962, he was able to go back to Hamburg. Sadly, in September 1962, he became unwell again and passed away.

Dermot Troy did not make many recordings during his lifetime. However, he is featured on some important ones. He sang with a famous group on a recording of Richard Strauss's Capriccio. He also sang the role of Hylas in a live recording of Berlioz's Les Troyens from 1957. Another recording he made was of Mozart's opera Zaide. He also recorded some Irish music, including songs by Thomas Moore from his Irish Melodies, and a few songs by John F. Larchet and Aloys Fleischmann.

A special CD called Dermot Troy Remembered was released in 2007 by RTÉ Lyric FM. It includes many of his recordings.