From Scenes Magazines, France

Summer 1998

Tenor made in the USA

Like many young American tenors, Gregory Kunde was not born into an environment that would enable the discovery of the opera world during one's adolescence, when one realizes one's ability to sing. It's in the world of rock where Kunde used his voice during his college years, without neglecting the opportunity to participate in choral groups. And it's in the listening to recordings of where Kunde fell in love with opera and decided to pursue a career in singing. After auditioning, he was engaged by the Lyric Opera of Chicago where he had the opportunity of four years of apprenticeship of covering Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jon Vickers, and Alfredo Kraus. Kunde has fond memories of meeting with Alfredo Kraus, whom he considers the greatest of the "masters" and who gave Kunde valuable advice for advancing the progress of his career just when Kunde began to appear in important roles in regional American theaters. It is "under" this guidance that Kunde learned how to interpret and discover "comfortable" roles, without ever needing to force the voice or imitate another voice.

It was in 1987 that his bel canto career really began with I Puritani in Montreal opposite Luciana Serra and with the overwhelming positive response from audiences and critics alike, decided to take on this repertoire seriously. It was two years later that he replaced Chris Merritt at the Theater Champs Élysées in Paris and also in Nice with Jose van Dam in Guillaume Tell, an experience that Kunde calls exceptional.

His career has been marked by a number of other Rossini moments and in particular, he notes the invitation to the Rossini Festival in Pesaro for Semiramide and Armida - with Renee Fleming - recorded live by Sony.

For the rest, his career is a cosmopolitan tour, from Werther in Tel Aviv, a Count Ory in Rome, I Puritani in Philadelphia, and appearances at La Scala, in Berlin, Madrid, and Vienna. At the Grand Theater of Geneva, he has offered his Don Ottavio in a Matthias Langhoff production, and also he has appeared in productions of Louise (1992 - 1993 season) and I Capuleti (1993 - 1994 season).

In addition to Rossini and Bellini, composers with whom Kunde's name is naturally attached, he very much appreciates the French composers and it is that reason for which he interprets always with immense pleasure such works as Manon or La Dame Blanche. He considers that there are in the operas of Rossini many passionate characters to portray. It is always a great pleasure to sing operas like La Cenerentola or L'Italiana in Algieri. On the stage, the American tenor has never had to confront a difficult situation, (although he admits) that it is more difficult to change the way to interpret a role for the twelfth time. About conductors, he calls Riccardo Muti with whom Kunde has worked recalls a "wonderful experience" enriching in his musical point of view and aesthetic.

Like other singers form the United States, Gregory Kunde finds he is able to build his career abroad . . . to happily interpret new roles and nuances of the music, to exchange experiences with other fellow singers, and to maintain a family life with his wife who often accompanies him on the road!