James King (tenor) facts for kids

James King (born May 22, 1925 – died November 20, 2005) was a famous American opera singer. He was known as a tenor, which is a type of male singing voice, usually the highest male voice in classical music. King sang in operas and concerts all over the world from the 1950s until 2000. Many people thought he was one of the best American tenors after World War II, especially for singing music by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.

James King made several recordings during his career. One of his most famous roles was Siegmund in Die Walküre, which was part of Wagner's huge Ring Cycle recording led by Sir Georg Solti. Later in his life, he also taught singing at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and Indiana University.

Early Life and Musical Journey

James King was born in Dodge City, Kansas. His father was Irish, and his mother was German. When he was young, he loved to sing in church choirs and also learned to play the violin.

He went to Louisiana State University and earned a music degree in 1949. There, he first trained to be a baritone, which is another type of male singing voice, lower than a tenor. After that, he studied for his master's degree in singing at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC). He then became a voice teacher at UMKC for nine years, performing as a baritone in concerts and operas.

Becoming a Tenor

In 1956, James King realized his voice was actually suited to be a tenor, not a baritone. He started training his voice again with famous teachers like Martial Singher and Max Lorenz.

He officially began his career as a tenor in 1960 with the Saint Louis Municipal Opera. His very last performance as a baritone was in May 1961. This was when he sang the role of Escamillo in the opera Carmen for his first time at the San Francisco Opera.

International Opera Career

In 1961, James King won the American Opera Auditions. This prize helped him study more in Italy. It also led to his first performance as a tenor in Europe. He sang the role of Cavaradossi in Puccini's opera Tosca at the Teatro della Pergola.

Soon, major opera houses in Europe wanted him to sing for them. He got contracts with famous places like the Deutsche Oper Berlin (starting in 1962), the Salzburg Festival (1962), the Vienna State Opera (1963), the Bayreuth Festival (1965), and La Scala (1968).

Singing at the Metropolitan Opera

James King made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera (often called the Met) in New York City on January 8, 1966. He sang the role of Florestan in the opera Fidelio. Over the next 30 years, he performed there 113 times!

He sang many different roles at the Met, including:

• The Emperor in Die Frau ohne Schatten
• Aegisthus in Elektra
• Calaf in Turandot
• Lohengrin
• Don Jose in Carmen
• Erik in Der fliegende Holländer
• Siegmund in Die Walküre
• Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos
• Cavaradossi in Tosca
• Walther in Die Meistersinger
• Captain Vere in Billy Budd
• The Drum Major in Wozzeck

His final performance at the Met was on April 27, 1996. He sang Walther in the last part of Die Meistersinger during a special gala event.

Later Life and Legacy

Later in his life, James King became a music and voice professor at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (IU). He taught there from 1984 until he retired from teaching in 2002. His very last performance as a singer was in 2000, when he sang Siegmund again at IU.

James King passed away on November 20, 2005, from a heart attack in Naples, Florida. He is remembered as one of the most important tenors of his time.

See also

In Spanish: James King para niños