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Richard Bonynge

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Richard Bonynge is an Australian conductor and pianist, born on 29 September 1930 in Epping, a suburb of Sydney. He studied piano at the Sydney Conservatorium and received a scholarship for the Royal College of Music in London. He let it lapse in order to continue studying privately and to coach singers. One of them was Joan Sutherland, whom he had accompanied in Australia. They married in 1954 and gave opera recitals together.

Music and breakthrough

In 1962 Bonynge stepped in as conductor of a recital because the scheduled conductor was ill and the replacement was in a car accident. From that moment he conducted virtually all of his wife's performances, until her farewell in 1990. His debut as an opera conductor was in 1963 in Vancouver with Faust. That same year he conducted Norma there for the first time, with Sutherland and Marilyn Horne. In his research into Massenet and the Italian bel canto composers he discovered that Massenet considered his opera Esclarmonde his best work. He bought the score and persuaded Sutherland to sing the role. The opera was performed in 1974 in San Francisco and in 1976 at the Metropolitan Opera. His debut at the Met was on 12 December 1966.

Influence

He conducted the English Chamber Orchestra on many recordings, such as La sonnambula, Norma, Lucia di Lammermoor and Rigoletto, and in 1977 founded the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Bonynge made sure that forgotten operas could be heard again.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a bel canto aria on a recording from his album Arias from Forgotten Operas and notice how the conductor lets the orchestra sing along with the soprano.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists