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Spiro MalasAmerican operatic bass-baritone of Greek origin.
Date of Birth: 28.01.1933
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Spiro Malas
Spiro Malas is an American opera bass-baritone of Greek descent. He was born on January 28, 1933, in Baltimore, Maryland, a city known for its strong musical traditions. Baltimore is home to the renowned Peabody Conservatory of Music and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which has been in existence for almost 100 years.
Early Career
In 1959, Malas made his operatic debut in his hometown of Baltimore. The following year, he won the annual Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. However, his debut in New York City was with the New York City Opera, where he caught the attention of Australian soprano Joan Sutherland and her husband, conductor Richard Bonynge. They invited Malas to join Sutherland's opera troupe on a tour of Australia, which turned out to be a great success. This paved the way for Malas to be engaged by major opera houses.
Operatic Success
Malas has performed at Covent Garden in London, the Metropolitan Opera (MET) during the 1983-1984 season, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. His first role at the MET was as Sergeant Sulpice in "La fille du régiment" alongside Sutherland and Alfredo Kraus. Since then, he has appeared in productions of "Il barbiere di Siviglia," "La bohème," "Les contes d'Hoffmann," "Die Fledermaus," "Eugene Onegin," "L'elisir d'amore," "Lulu," "Manon Lescaut," "Der Rosenkavalier," "Salome," "Tosca," and "Werther." Malas also participated in two new productions by Sir Peter Hall, singing Sunnigu in "Carmen" and Dr. Bartolo in "Le nozze di Figaro."
Other Endeavors
In addition to his opera career, Spiro Malas has appeared in television shows such as "Spenser: For Hire," "The Equalizer," "Ryan's Hope," "One Life to Live," "Law & Order," and "Sex and the City." He was even nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his role as Tony Esposito in the Broadway revival of "The Most Happy Fella." Malas is also a vocal instructor at Barnard College, Columbia University, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a patron of the international professional music fraternity, Delta Omicron. Malas and his wife, Marlena Kleinman Malas, a vocal teacher in New York, have two sons, Nicol and Alexis.
