Lewis, Richard (real name, Thomas Thomas)

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Lewis, Richard (real name, Thomas Thomas)

Lewis, Richard (real name, Thomas Thomas), noted English tenor; b. Manchester, May 10, 1914; d. Eastbourne, Nov. 13,1990. He studied with T.W Evans, then with Norman Allin at the Royal Manchester Coll. of Music (1939-41) and at the Royal Academy of Music in London (1945). He made his operatic debut with the Carl Rosa Opera Co. in 1939. From 1947 he sang at the Glyndebourne Festivals and at London’s Covent Garden. He sang with the San Francisco Opera (1955-60), then appeared there as a guest artist (1962-68). He toured extensively as a concert and oratorio singer. In 1963 he was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His repertoire was extensive, including roles in operas ranging from Monteverdi and Mozart to Schoenberg, Britten, and Tippett.

Bibliography

N. Ross-Russell, There Will I Sing: The Making of a Tenor: A Biography of R. L CBE (London, 1996).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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