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David Aiken (baritone)

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352: 67:. After earning his diploma in 1939, he briefly worked as a high school English teacher and track coach before accepting a post with the St. Louis Municipal Opera. He left that position in 1942 to join the United States Army Air Forces, where he was trained as a fighter pilot and commissioned as a second lieutenant. He spent the remainder of World War II flying the 96:; having replaced George Jongeyans as Mr. Kofner. After the show closed the following November, he and several of the other Broadway cast members took the show on tour for performances in Paris and London. He later returned to Broadway in March 1954 to create the role of Eddington in the original production of 141:; including Aiken who was cast in the role of King Melchior. He continued to portray that role, along with the other original adult cast members, for annual live television broadcasts up through 1962. They also gave annual national tours of 148:
In 1968 Aiken joined the voice faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he taught for many years. During the 1970s and 1980s he operated the David Aiken Touring Opera Company which presented annual tours of
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for missions in both Germany and Italy. He remained a reserve officer and command pilot in the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel up through 1972.
106:. He left that show in June 1954 only to return to Broadway the following December to originate the role of Salvatore in the premiere of Menotti's 63:, where he matriculated in 1935. While a student there he was a member of the university's choir and studied singing privately with Grace Duty in 412: 377: 417: 422: 382: 242: 60: 397: 387: 137:
of 1951 in a national broadcast to millions. For this production, Menotti enlisted the forces of many of the singers from
324: 252: 402: 79: 34: 129: 108: 43: 68: 347: 41:, and is best remembered for creating the role of King Melchior in the world premiere of Menotti's 288: 102: 75: 153:. Aiken directed the productions and continued to perform the role of King Melchior as well. 372: 367: 8: 351: 226: 87: 38: 304: 248: 124: 83: 64: 56: 123:
to compose an opera for television which was to be performed by the newly created
343: 328: 157: 97: 145:, performing with symphony orchestras in concerts throughout the United States. 30: 361: 321: 134: 269: 217: 92: 176: 74:
After World War II, Aiken pursued further studies in music at the
26: 127:(NBCOT). What resulted was the highly successful Christmas opera 82:. Shortly after completing these studies, he made his debut on 23: 408:
United States Army Air Forces bomber pilots of World War II
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officer. He was particularly associated with the works of
120: 222:"Menotti Opera, the First for TV, Has Its Premiere" 22:(October 4, 1917 – July 23, 2011) was an American 359: 393:Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni 244:The Metropolitan Opera guide to recorded opera 267: 240: 216: 350: 86:in May 1950 in the original production of 199: 197: 413:United States Army Air Forces officers 360: 378:Indiana University Bloomington alumni 302:"'Amahl' Has Touch of Authenticity", 194: 13: 284:"Amahl' To Be Staged In Asheville" 50: 14: 434: 418:Classical musicians from Illinois 337: 261: 423:Military personnel from Illinois 61:Southern Illinois Normal College 383:Jacobs School of Music faculty 311: 296: 276: 247:. W. W. Norton & Company. 234: 210: 181: 170: 115:After the critical success of 80:Indiana University Bloomington 1: 163: 35:United States Army Air Forces 16:American musician (1917–2011) 398:People from Benton, Illinois 151:Amahl and the Night Visitors 130:Amahl and the Night Visitors 109:The Saint of Bleecker Street 44:Amahl and the Night Visitors 7: 388:American operatic baritones 270:"Three Kings in 50 Minutes" 69:Consolidated B-24 Liberator 59:, Aiken studied English at 10: 439: 348:Internet Broadway Database 322:"Obituary: David M. Aiken" 318:Greene County Daily World 119:, Menotti was invited by 189:The Theatre World Annual 177:Biography of David Aiken 207:, Doubleday Press, 1985 133:which was premiered on 103:The Girl in Pink Tights 76:Jacobs School of Music 403:Singers from Illinois 220:(December 25, 1951). 205:The Stages of Menotti 292:. December 11, 1985. 241:Paul Gruber (1993). 160:, at the age of 93. 327:2011-10-07 at the 308:, December 6, 1983 227:The New York Times 187:Frances Stephens. 88:Gian Carlo Menotti 39:Gian Carlo Menotti 320:(July 24, 2011). 305:Los Angeles Times 268:Mitchell Hadley. 191:, Rockliff, 1951. 125:NBC Opera Theatre 430: 354: 331: 315: 309: 300: 294: 293: 280: 274: 273: 265: 259: 258: 238: 232: 231: 214: 208: 201: 192: 185: 179: 174: 65:Marion, Illinois 57:Benton, Illinois 438: 437: 433: 432: 431: 429: 428: 427: 358: 357: 340: 335: 334: 329:Wayback Machine 316: 312: 301: 297: 289:Asheville Times 282: 281: 277: 266: 262: 255: 239: 235: 215: 211: 202: 195: 186: 182: 175: 171: 166: 158:Linton, Indiana 98:Sigmund Romberg 53: 51:Life and career 17: 12: 11: 5: 436: 426: 425: 420: 415: 410: 405: 400: 395: 390: 385: 380: 375: 370: 356: 355: 339: 338:External links 336: 333: 332: 310: 295: 275: 260: 253: 233: 209: 193: 180: 168: 167: 165: 162: 156:Aiken died in 52: 49: 31:opera director 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 435: 424: 421: 419: 416: 414: 411: 409: 406: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 389: 386: 384: 381: 379: 376: 374: 371: 369: 366: 365: 363: 353: 349: 345: 342: 341: 330: 326: 323: 319: 314: 307: 306: 299: 291: 290: 285: 279: 271: 264: 256: 254:9780393034448 250: 246: 245: 237: 229: 228: 223: 219: 213: 206: 203:John Ardoin. 200: 198: 190: 184: 178: 173: 169: 161: 159: 154: 152: 146: 144: 140: 136: 135:Christmas Eve 132: 131: 126: 122: 118: 113: 111: 110: 105: 104: 99: 95: 94: 89: 85: 81: 77: 72: 70: 66: 62: 58: 48: 46: 45: 40: 36: 32: 28: 25: 21: 317: 313: 303: 298: 287: 278: 263: 243: 236: 225: 212: 204: 188: 183: 172: 155: 150: 147: 142: 138: 128: 116: 114: 107: 101: 91: 73: 54: 42: 19: 18: 373:2011 deaths 368:1917 births 344:David Aiken 218:Olin Downes 20:David Aiken 362:Categories 164:References 139:The Consul 117:The Consul 93:The Consul 325:Archived 84:Broadway 55:Born in 27:baritone 24:operatic 346:at the 251:  33:, and 143:Amahl 249:ISBN 121:NBC 100:'s 90:'s 78:of 364:: 286:. 224:. 196:^ 112:. 47:. 29:, 272:. 257:. 230:.

Index

operatic
baritone
opera director
United States Army Air Forces
Gian Carlo Menotti
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Benton, Illinois
Southern Illinois Normal College
Marion, Illinois
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Jacobs School of Music
Indiana University Bloomington
Broadway
Gian Carlo Menotti
The Consul
Sigmund Romberg
The Girl in Pink Tights
The Saint of Bleecker Street
NBC
NBC Opera Theatre
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Christmas Eve
Linton, Indiana
Biography of David Aiken


Olin Downes
"Menotti Opera, the First for TV, Has Its Premiere"
The New York Times
The Metropolitan Opera guide to recorded opera

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