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Donald George

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Donald George is an American operatic tenor. He is currently an Associate Professor of Voice at State University of New York, Potsdam's Crane School of Music.[1] He has performed in major opera houses and concert halls of Europe.

Biography

George was born in Pittsburg, California and he grew up in Franklinton, Louisiana near New Orleans. With voice scholarships, he obtained a bachelor degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana while studying with Ralph Roberts and a master degree from Louisiana State University where he studied with Paul Knowles. In Europe, he also studied with Margarethe von Winterfeldt the teacher of German tenor Fritz Wunderlich. He also worked with Kammersänger Josef Metternich and also with John Lester.

George made his debut in Munich at the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz as Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and at the Komische Oper Berlin as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute in the production by Harry Kupfer, as Candide at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Alfredo in La traviata at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin. He sang at several Italian houses including La Scala, Teatro San Carlo in Naples and the Teatro Regio in Turin; France (Opéra Bastille, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse); and in the Netherlands at the De Nederlandse Opera, Opera Enschede, De Nationale Reisopera, Maastricht, and the Opera Zuid. In Austria he performed at the Salzburg Festival, Bregenz Festival, Vienna State Opera, Volksoper, and Theater an der Wien. In Spain he sang at the Teatro Real, Auditorio Nacional de Música, and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona; in Israel at the New Israel Opera; and in Argentina at the Teatro Colón. George has also sung with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, l'Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai, Italy, Radio France, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, Czech Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra with Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Jurowski, Christoph von Dohnányi, Sir Colin Davis, Lord Yehudi Menuhin and others.

In addition to Mozart roles, and such roles as Candide, the Prince in Love For Three Oranges, Rodolfo in La bohème and the Duke in Rigoletto, George has sung as the tenor soloist in Bach's Passions and Cantatas with Helmuth Rilling, and in oratorio—Elijah, St. Paul and Carmina Burana. His voice has been credited with being a "pleasing tenor sound, inflected with an admirable musical sensitivity"[2] and his portrayal in Love For Three Oranges as "…a wonderfully funny and sad prince" "Donald George suffers equally heartbreaking as the melancholy prince as he does as the prince in love...and an ideal casting.[3] His performance in Candide, was described as 'brilliant'.[4] and Opera International, said in a review of the premier recording of Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira "Donald George qui confère à Aureliano une autorité..., et une virtuosité".[5]

As an academic, George has formed with Lucy Mauro the ensemble DuoDrama and performed, given master classes and workshops, and published extensively.[citation needed] Articles written by George and Mauro include those appearing in American Music Teacher (on the nineteenth-century German Melodram), for Die Tonkunst (“The Historical Melodram”) and a review of the book Practicing: A Musicians Return to Music by Glenn Kurtz for American Music Teacher.[citation needed]

Donald George’s honors include being made a Colonel by Governor Buddy Roemer in 1990 for his service to Louisiana. He is an honorary citizen of Varna, Bulgaria and Bath, England and was appointed as an Honoured Professor at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in Shenyang, China in 2007.[citation needed] He was also inducted into the Southeastern Louisiana University Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the key to his hometown in 2000. He has also been named the 2010 Alumnus of the Year by Southeastern Louisiana University.[6]

He resides in Germany on Lake Starnberg outside of Munich and in the USA.

Recordings

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 – BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra Brussels, Cantores Oratorio Choir Bruges, Gauci, Van Deyck, George Rosca, Alexander Rahbari (conductor). Label: Discover International DICD 920151
  • Benoit, Peter: Hoogmis (High Mass) – BRTN Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Brussels, Koniklijke Chorale Caecilia - Dubois, Donald George (tenor), Alexander Rahbari (conductor). Label: Discover International CICD 920178

Laporte, André Das Schloß George, Waag, Rosca, Lootens, Rawlins BRTN Philarmonic Orchestra Brussels Alexander Rahbari, conductor Koch Discover International DICD 920375-6

Mach, Konstantin Maria Himmelfahrt, Op. 21 Baumann, Kessler, Donald George, Hillebrand Chor und Orchester des Philharmonischen Orchesters Regensburg Eberhard Kraus, conductor Co-Production Bavarian Radio and Calig-Verlag Munich

Mendelssohn, Elias Israel Philharmonic Orchestra MDR Choir Leipzig Miles, Donath, van Ness, Donald George Kurt Masur, conductor Teldec Classics International 9031-73131-2

Mozart La Finita Giardiniera George, Moser, McCarthy, Piland Festival Radio France Montpellier Friedemann Leyer, conductor

Orff Carmina Burana Donald George, Mohr, Korondi MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig Daniel Nazareth, conductor (also in video)

Puccini Manon Lescaut BRT Philharmonic Orchestra Brussels Gauci, Kaludov, Sardiniero, Rosca, Donald George Alexander Rahbari, conductor Naxos 8-660019

Rossini Aureliano In Palmira George, Manzotti, Korovine, Canis I Virtuosi di Praga Francesco Corti, conductor Bongiovanni Records Bologna

Rossini Le Nozze Di Teti E Di Peleo (first recording) George, Korovina, Lopera, Malta, Schaefer Czech Chamber Choir Virtuosi di Praga Marc Andrea, conductor Hänssler Classic Collector CD-No. 91.111

Saint-Saëns Samson & Dalila Munich Radio Orchestra Baltsa, Carreras, Malmberg, George Sir Colin Davis, conductor Phillips Classics

Schubert Die Schöne Müllerin Donald George, tenor Jan Vermeulen, pianoforte (Hamerflügel) Phaedra Classics 292 002

Strauss Salome Berliner Philharmoniker Marton, Zednik, Weikl, Fassbaender, Lewis O'Neal, Maus, Donald George, Beyer, von Halem Zubin Mehta, conductor Sony Classics s2K 46717

Verdi Alzira Munich Radio Orchestra Rotering, Bruson, Cotrubas, Araiza Bonilla, Donald George, Lis Lamberto Gardelli, conductor Orfeo S 057832 H

Verdi Requiem Slovak Radio New Philharmonic Orchestra Slovak Philharonic Choir Gauci, Alperyn, Donald George, Mikulas Alexander Rahbari, conductor Discover International DICD 920105-6

Weill, Kurt Seven Deadly Sins Cleveland Orchestra Silja, Donald George, Vogel, Gottschick, Kapellmann Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor Cleveland Orchestra 75th Anniversary CD Edition

References

  1. ^ SUNY Potsdam Donald George.
  2. ^ Opera news, September 2001 The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Inc.[by whom?]
  3. ^ Der Tagesspiegel Berlin June 15, 1998 [by whom?]
  4. ^ Münchner Merkur by Markus Thiel[not specific enough to verify]
  5. ^ Opera International (France) April 1998.[by whom?]
  6. ^ http://www.selu.edu/news_media/news_releases/2010/oct/alumnus_of_year.html

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