Graham Clark (tenor) facts for kids

Graham Ronald Clark (born November 10, 1941 – died July 6, 2023) was a famous English opera singer. He was a tenor, which means he sang with a high male voice.

He was best known for playing characters like David in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He also played Loge and Mime in Der Ring des Nibelungen. Graham Clark was a main singer with the English National Opera from 1978 to 1985.

He performed in many top opera houses in Europe and North America. This happened after he became famous at the Bayreuth Festival in 1981. He returned to this festival for 15 seasons. He also sang at the Metropolitan Opera 112 times over 15 seasons.

Graham Clark's Early Life and Training

Graham Clark was born in Littleborough, Lancashire, England, on November 10, 1941. He started singing as a young boy in his church choir. He had a treble voice, which is a high singing voice for children.

He went to Kirkham Grammar School and was even the Captain of the School. Later, he studied at Loughborough College of Education and Loughborough University. For a few years, he worked as a PE teacher. After more studies, he became a Senior Regional Officer for the Sports Council.

However, his true passion was singing. He decided to become a professional singer. He studied with a teacher named Bruce Boyce in London. He learned a special Italian singing style called bel canto, which means "beautiful singing."

Starting His Opera Career

Graham Clark joined the chorus of the Wexford Festival Opera in 1973. He sang small parts in operas like Prokofiev's The Gambler.

His big break came in 1975. A famous conductor, Richard Bonynge, chose him for a special concert. This concert was at the Royal Opera House in London. It was a charity event to help the city of Darwin, Australia. Darwin had been badly hit by a storm called Cyclone Tracy. The concert was shown on TV and even released as a music album.

After this, he got a full-time job offer from the Scottish Opera. He accepted it and started singing many different roles. These included Pedrillo in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. He also played David in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Performing at Major Opera Houses

Graham Clark first sang at the English National Opera in 1976. He played the main role in the first British performance of Ginastera's Bomarzo. He joined the company full-time in 1978. He stayed with them until 1985.

Some of his important roles there included the main character in Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann. He also played Hermann in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades. He even played Matej Brouček in Janácek's The Adventures of Mr Brouček.

He also performed at the Welsh National Opera. There, he played Loge in Wagner's Das Rheingold. He also sang as Rossini's Count Ory at Opera North.

International Recognition

Graham Clark became known around the world after singing at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany. He first appeared there in 1981 as David, which became one of his most famous roles. He performed at this festival for 16 seasons. He sang in more than 120 performances there.

From 1988, he became well-known for playing Loge and Mime in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. These were two of his most important parts. He sang these roles in famous productions directed by Harry Kupfer.

Performances in New York and Paris

In 1985, Graham Clark sang for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He played Stewa in Janáceks Jenůfa. He performed there 112 times over 15 seasons.

Other roles he played at the Met included Herod in Salome by Richard Strauss. He also played Captain Vere in Britten's Billy Budd. In 1991, he was part of the first-ever performance of Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles. He played the tricky villain Bégearss in this show.

In 1991, he also took part in the first performance of Berio's Un re in ascolto. This was at the Opéra Bastille in Paris, France.

Later Career and Final Performances

Graham Clark first sang at the Royal Opera House in London in 1995. He played Mime there. He continued to perform various roles at this famous opera house until 2018.

In 2008, he performed the four "grotesques" (funny and strange characters) in The Tales of Hoffmann. He also appeared in the first performance of Iain Bell's In Parenthesis [de] in 2016.

He sang at the Oper Frankfurt in Germany. His very last role was in the first performance of Pascal Dusapin's Macbeth Underworld [de]. This was in Brussels, Belgium, in September 2019.

Personal Life and Passing

Graham Clark faced health challenges for about 20 years. He passed away on July 6, 2023, at the age of 81.

Awards and Honors

Graham Clark was nominated three times for the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Opera Awards. He won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera in 1986. He won this award for his role as Mephistopheles in Doktor Faust.

He also received an Emmy nomination in 1991. This was for his role in The Ghosts of Versailles at the Metropolitan Opera. He received the Sir Reginald Goodall Memorial Award in 2001. In 2009, he was given the Sherwin Award.

Loughborough University gave Graham Clark an honorary doctorate in 1999. This means they recognized his achievements with a special degree. He was also made an honorary bachelor of science in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Graham Clark para niños