From La Provence

15 January 1999

Gregory Kunde is a Nemorino in Love

A rocker in adolescence, Kunde is building a grand career in the bel canto repertoire. He sings for the first time in Marseilles and discovers L'elisir d'Amore.

The American tenor Gregory Kunde, who lives in Rochester, a small city in western New York, is thrilled to be spending time in Marseilles. He is singing here for the first time, but he is no stranger to the passions of opera. "I discovered operatic singing very late. At school we formed a rock band and I was the lead singer. I was going to graduate from Illinois State University where I studied for four years. I wanted to become a choir director."

Gregory Kunde joined a university madrigal group, who was invited to sing Bach motets with Helmut Rilling in Vienna. "The trip was my first contact with opera at the Vienna Staatsoper where I saw Salome performed. It was a real shock, those singers on the stage with no microphones . . ."

His professor encouraged him to listen to a recording of Wunderlich, which was quite a revelation. At the time, the Metropolitan Opera was auditioning young singers. Gregory Kunde auditioned, but was not invited; but the administration of the Lyric Opera of Chicago engaged him in an apprentice group: " I made my debut in 1978 in Salome, singing one of the Nazareans." Alfredo Kraus who often sang there decided to help the young tenor. He offered this advice: 'Much like me, you do not have a large voice, but you can learn how to make it resonate like an instrument.'.

Gregory Kunde left behind the repertoire of the lyric tenor and, in 1987, began his bel canto career, not only in Italian, but also in French which suits his voice perfectly. However he will be singing in an Italian production: "I am thrilled to finally sing the role of Nemorino, a timid character, but happily the elixir gives him confidence. I was a little like him . . .but that was a long time ago. I have been reunited with singers I knew well years ago and they are wonderful artists, much like our conductor!"

We look forward to an Elixir of Love of quality.