20:
153:
and with the intent of pursuing a performance career. That same year he auditioned for and was accepted as a member of the
Charles Wagner Opera Company, a touring company which traveled throughout North America. He traveled widely with the company during the Fall of 1951, notably portraying Alfredo
64:. Aside from a handful of these roles, however, his repertoire at the Metropolitan did not include heavier parts. Rather, he was known there for an expansive lyric repertoire that encompassed the works of Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, and Donizetti among others. His signature roles included Alfredo in
621:
Alexander sang relatively few performances outside of New York City, a conscious choice on his part. He chose to not travel in favor of having a stable life with his wife Sue and their daughter, Cindy. The family made their home on
641:
In 1990 Alexander died suddenly of a heart attack at the Temple
Theater in Meridian, Mississippi, the city where he was born. He was 67 years of age, and still actively performing and teaching at the time of his death.
720:, with Hildegard Behrens, Ileana Cotrubas, Luciano Pavarotti, Frederica von Stade and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4234, 2006
786:
146:, earning a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Many years later, while still working regularly for the Metropolitan Opera, he returned to the conservatory as a member of the voice faculty.
56:
While most of
Alexander's career was spent in lyric roles from the Italian and French repertory, he had enough heft in his voice to successfully tackle some of the lighter Heldentenor roles of
49:
during the late 1950s and 1960s. Although he spent most of his career in New York City, Alexander occasionally traveled to perform as a guest artist with many of the world's leading
548:. He returned to that company a few more times during his career, singing Rodolfo (1969), Pollione (1972), and Hoffmann (1987). Also in 1967, Alexander sang the role of Paul in
316:
In 1961 Alexander joined the roster of the
Metropolitan Opera where he sang regularly for the next 26 years. He made his first appearance on the Met stage as Ferrando in
143:
225:
singing the role of
Alfredo. The following year he returned to the New York City Opera to portray the role of Henry Morosus for the United States premiere of
811:
41:
in New York City, singing with that company every year between 1961 and 1987 for a total of 379 performances. He also periodically performed at the
740:
534:
Although
Alexander worked mostly in New York City he did occasionally travel to perform in other opera houses. In 1967 he made his debut with the
796:
781:
801:
235:. He continued to perform periodically at the New York City Opera up through the 1970s, notably excelling as Walther in Wagner's
509:
During his long and distinguished career at the Met, Alexander sang opposite many famous artists, including the Met debuts of
278:. He returned several more times for performances with that company, including portrayals of Vicomte Camille de Jolidon in
192:
opposite Sill's Micaëla. Over the next five years he appeared in several houses throughout the United States including the
253:
626:
during the late 1950s through the early 1970s. At this point, Alexander joined the voice faculty at his alma mater in
806:
791:
715:
502:
275:
204:
168:
as
Violetta. In the spring of 1952 he made his first appearance with at an actual opera house as the title hero in
46:
78:
182:. The following fall he once again traveled with the Charles Wagner Opera Company, this time singing Don José in
521:' (who portrayed Valentin). His last performance at the Met was on October 5, 1987, portraying Bacchus opposite
341:
589:
37:
who had a substantial career during the 1950s through the 1980s. He had a longstanding relationship with the
53:, both in the United States and Europe. He was also an active concert singer throughout his career.
102:
579:
549:
298:
193:
698:, 1968–69). Additionally, VAI has released his 1967 performance, in New Orleans, of Massenet's
496:
631:
426:
398:
139:
514:
776:
771:
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321:
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8:
539:
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222:
197:
90:
42:
607:
567:
444:
415:
38:
655:
638:
for
Alexander to use when he was in town for rehearsals and performances at the Met.
571:
527:
438:
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237:
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96:
627:
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213:
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630:. The family then relocated to Cincinnati while maintaining an apartment on the
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603:
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380:
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In 1951 Alexander moved to New York City to begin studying voice further under
57:
284:(1958), Lieutenant Pinkerton (1959, 1962, 1963), Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood in
765:
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510:
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247:. In 1958 he created the role of Lucentio is the first staged performance of
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270:
114:
623:
599:
478:
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66:
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678:'s production, 1975). His discography includes recordings of Bellini's
584:
260:
On
February 10, 1958, Alexander portrayed the role of Rodolfo opposite
120:
19:
635:
221:
as Cio-Cio San. That same year he made his first appearance with the
84:
594:
72:
741:"John Alexander, Lyric Tenor, 67; Sang for Met Opera for 25 Years"
578:
debut as
Pollione and in 1973 he sang for the first time with the
208:
787:
University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music alumni
356:
188:
517:(Faust to her Marguerite) and, in the same night as Caballé,
368:
362:
296:(1960), Alfredo (1961, 1963, 1972), Faust (1967), Gennaro in
183:
34:
31:
344:. His other roles at the Met included Alfredo, Anatol in
144:
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
30:(October 21, 1923 – December 8, 1990) was an American
45:
during his career and was a frequent presence at the
602:
in the title role. He appeared as Pollione with the
562:. The following year he sang the role of Rodolfo in
606:in 1978. He also performed in a few roles with the
274:for the very first opera performance given by the
650:Alexander may be seen on such videos as Mozart's
763:
588:. In 1975 he made his first appearance with the
738:
378:, the Duke of Mantua, Edgardo, Eisenstein in
302:(1969), and Roberto, conte di Leicester in
354:, Arbace, Belmonte, Don Carlos, Cassio in
203:In 1957 Alexander made his debut with the
812:20th-century American male opera singers
311:
133:
18:
764:
739:Bernard Holland (December 10, 1990).
662:'s production, 1982) and Donizetti's
797:Classical musicians from Mississippi
782:Musicians from Meridian, Mississippi
241:and as Bacchus in Richard Strauss's
558:for his first performance with the
13:
732:
408:, Hoffmann, the Italian Singer in
14:
823:
138:Alexander was born and raised in
802:University of Cincinnati faculty
276:Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
205:Philadelphia Grand Opera Company
106:, Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton in
47:Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
709:
513:(Pinkerton to her Butterfly),
503:Die Meistersinger von NĂĽrnberg
500:, and Walther von Stolzing in
1:
725:
645:
590:Opera Company of Philadelphia
582:as the title role in Verdi's
79:Die EntfĂĽhrung aus dem Serail
7:
320:on December 19, 1961, with
207:as Lieutenant Pinkerton in
10:
828:
290:(1960, 1961), Ferrando in
454:, Pinkerton, Pollione in
448:, Narraboth in Strauss's
118:, and the title roles in
807:American operatic tenors
792:Singers from Mississippi
690:, 1964) and Donizetti's
82:, the Duke of Mantua in
16:American operatic singer
580:Opera Company of Boston
254:The Taming of the Shrew
194:Baltimore Opera Company
570:. In 1970 he made his
24:
390:, Faust, Goffredo in
312:Later life and career
140:Meridian, Mississippi
134:Early life and career
103:Les contes d'Hoffmann
22:
660:Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
612:Bavarian State Opera
497:La Fille du RĂ©giment
463:Un ballo in maschera
436:, the title role in
322:Teresa Stich-Randall
232:Die schweigsame Frau
702:, with Caballé and
540:Gustave Charpentier
536:San Francisco Opera
491:La clemenza di Tito
287:Lucia di Lammermoor
223:New York City Opera
198:Houston Grand Opera
91:Lucia di Lammermoor
43:New York City Opera
608:Berlin State Opera
568:Vienna State Opera
515:Montserrat Caballé
445:Adriana Lecouvreur
142:. He attended the
39:Metropolitan Opera
25:
23:Alexander in 1960.
656:Luciano Pavarotti
572:Royal Opera House
528:Ariadne auf Naxos
411:Der Rosenkavalier
360:, Cavaradossi in
281:Die lustige Witwe
249:Vittorio Giannini
244:Ariadne auf Naxos
238:Die Meistersinger
164:opposite a young
819:
756:
755:
753:
751:
736:
664:Roberto Devereux
628:Cincinnati, Ohio
616:Cincinnati Opera
560:Vienna Volksoper
372:, Des Grieux in
366:, Des Grieux in
336:as Despina, and
214:Madama Butterfly
180:Cincinnati Opera
109:Madama Butterfly
827:
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749:
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733:
728:
716:Mozart, W. A.:
712:
696:Elena Souliotis
684:Joan Sutherland
676:Tito Capobianco
654:(also starring
648:
519:Sherrill Milnes
485:The Magic Flute
421:The Last Savage
324:as Fiordiligi,
314:
299:Lucrezia Borgia
266:Giacomo Puccini
227:Richard Strauss
219:Dorothy Kirsten
136:
88:, Edgardo from
62:Richard Strauss
17:
12:
11:
5:
825:
815:
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745:New York Times
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724:
723:
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711:
708:
672:Susanne Marsee
647:
644:
604:Portland Opera
555:Die tote Stadt
525:'s Ariadne in
506:among others.
460:, Riccardo in
442:, Maurizio in
402:, Fernando in
381:Die Fledermaus
338:Frank Guarrera
334:Roberta Peters
332:as Guglielmo,
330:Theodor Uppman
328:as Dorabella,
326:Rosalind Elias
318:Così fan tutte
313:
310:
293:Così fan tutte
170:Charles Gounod
156:Giuseppe Verdi
135:
132:
97:Così fan tutte
94:, Ferrando in
76:, Belmonte in
58:Richard Wagner
28:John Alexander
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
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704:Louis Quilico
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688:Marilyn Horne
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668:Beverly Sills
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576:Covent Garden
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569:
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556:
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547:
546:
541:
538:as Julien in
537:
532:
530:
529:
524:
523:Jessye Norman
520:
516:
512:
511:Renata Scotto
507:
505:
504:
499:
498:
493:
492:
487:
486:
481:
480:
475:
474:
470:, Rodolfo in
469:
466:, Rodolfo in
465:
464:
459:
458:
453:
452:
447:
446:
441:
440:
435:
434:
429:
428:
427:Eugene Onegin
423:
422:
417:
414:, Kodanda in
413:
412:
407:
406:
401:
400:
399:Boris Godunov
396:, Grigory in
395:
394:
389:
388:
387:La Sonnambula
383:
382:
377:
376:
375:Manon Lescaut
371:
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309:
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305:Maria Stuarda
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262:Elaine Malbin
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166:Beverly Sills
163:
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141:
131:
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128:
123:
122:
117:
116:
112:, Rodolfo in
111:
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105:
104:
100:, Hoffman in
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33:
29:
21:
748:. Retrieved
744:
734:
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679:
663:
651:
649:
640:
620:
593:
592:as Calaf in
583:
563:
553:
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526:
508:
501:
495:
489:
483:
482:, Tamino in
477:
476:, Roland in
473:Luisa Miller
471:
467:
461:
455:
449:
443:
437:
431:
430:, Lionel in
425:
424:, Lensky in
419:
409:
403:
397:
391:
385:
384:, Elvino in
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367:
361:
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349:
317:
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151:Robert Weede
148:
137:
125:
119:
113:
107:
101:
95:
89:
83:
77:
71:
70:, Arbace in
65:
55:
51:opera houses
27:
26:
777:1990 deaths
772:1923 births
710:Videography
692:Anna Bolena
682:(with Dame
624:Long Island
600:Elinor Ross
494:, Tonio in
479:Esclarmonde
405:La favorita
342:Don Alfonso
264:'s Mimì in
161:La traviata
67:La traviata
766:Categories
726:References
694:(opposite
646:Recordings
614:, and the
585:Don Carlos
488:, Tito in
121:Don Carlos
636:Manhattan
632:West Side
598:opposite
564:La bohème
468:La bohème
439:Lohengrin
271:La bohème
217:opposite
115:La bohème
85:Rigoletto
718:Idomeneo
652:Idomeneo
595:Turandot
550:Korngold
308:(1974).
196:and the
73:Idomeneo
32:operatic
566:at the
416:Menotti
393:Rinaldo
351:Vanessa
209:Puccini
750:May 6,
666:(with
610:, the
545:Louise
451:Salome
433:Martha
357:Otello
346:Barber
189:Carmen
700:Manon
680:Norma
674:, in
658:, in
457:Norma
369:Manon
363:Tosca
184:Bizet
178:with
175:Faust
127:Faust
35:tenor
752:2009
686:and
670:and
124:and
60:and
634:of
574:at
552:'s
542:'s
418:'s
348:'s
340:as
268:'s
251:'s
229:'s
211:'s
186:'s
172:'s
158:'s
154:in
768::
743:.
706:.
618:.
531:.
257:.
200:.
130:.
754:.
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