Jon Vickers Canadian opera singer, tenor Date of Birth: 29.10.1926 Country: Canada

Biography of John Vickers

John Vickers is a Canadian opera singer and tenor. He was born in Toronto in 1950 and was the sixth of eight children in his family. In 1950, he received a scholarship to study opera at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he was mentored by George Lambert. By the mid-1950s, Vickers began his professional career.

Vickers' voice could be heard at Covent Garden from 1957 onwards, with his first role being Riccardo in Verdi's 'Ballo in maschera'. He continued to perform at Covent Garden until the mid-1980s, singing in operas such as Berlioz's 'Les Troyens', Verdi's 'Aida' and 'Don Carlos', Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde', Leoncavallo's 'Pagliacci', and others.

Vickers was known for his unique interpretation of roles such as Tristan and Othello. He excelled in performing Wagner and was a frequent guest at the Bayreuth Festival. His best-known roles include Othello, Florestan in Beethoven's 'Fidelio', Tristan, Radames, Samson, and Peter Grimes in Benjamin Britten's opera of the same name.

In 1960, Vickers began performing at the renowned Metropolitan Opera in the United States. He sang at major opera houses around the world, including La Scala, Chicago, San Francisco, Salzburg, and many others.

Vickers' performances often generated conflicting opinions among audiences. Some idolized him as the "best Wagnerian tenor," while others found listening to him in Wagnerian roles to be challenging. However, Vickers' lyrical-heroic tenor voice and his exceptional talent as a performer made him one of the most distinctive and remarkable tenors of his time.

Aside from Wagnerian characters, Vickers also excelled in Verdi roles. Although he was criticized for his upper register, his melodic and beautiful vocal style, as well as his dramatic interpretations, made him a captivating performer.

Vickers retired from the stage in 1988 but made several recordings, including Richard Strauss' 'Enoch Arden'. In an interview, he admitted that he did not particularly enjoy recording, but acknowledged its importance.

In 1978, Vickers worked for television, appearing in productions of 'Pagliacci' and 'Otello'. He also participated in live broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera as part of the 'Live from the Met' television project.

Today, the legendary tenor is over 80 years old. He has been married to Henrietta Outerbridge since 1953, and they have five children together.