THOMAS HAMPSON, Baritone
Thomas Hampson is one of the most recognized, popular, and sought-after singers before the public today. In a career now in its third decade, his versatility, imagination, and vocal charisma have set new standards on the operatic stages and concert halls the world over. Brought up in Spokane, Washington, he has devoted his life to music, performing in opera, operetta, musical, oratorio, and recital, as well as in the fields of recording, research and pedagogy. To tell stories of the human existence, to bring them to life, to move and touch us, this is what matters most to Thomas Hampson when he appears on stage.
Thomas Hampson’s operatic repertoire encompasses over 60 opera roles and 120 recording projects, spanning known repertoire as well as rarely performed works and world premieres. He has sung the title roles in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell, Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Massenet’s Werther in the composer’s baritone version, Busoni’s Doktor Faustus, Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, Verdi’s Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, as well as the world premiere of Cerha’s Der Riese vom Steinfeld. Other roles include Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, Wolfram in Wagner’s Tannhäuser, the Marquis de Posa in Verdi’s Don Carlos, Orest in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride, Amfortas in Wagner’s Parsifal, Mandryka in Strauss’ Arabella, and recently Renato in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera in London’s Covent Garden.
His vast repertoire is available on Thomas Hampson's Web site, Hampsong.
A particular passion of Thomas Hampson is the world of song as the diary of every culture. His over 25 recordings of songs in various languages have garnished him virtually all the major recording prizes available.
His devotion to American song in particular initiated the first German television program on American song titled: "Stephen Foster and his World" produced by the Hessische Rundfunk in Stuttgart, Germany, and filmed on location in Pittsburgh at the Stephen Foster Memorial.
In 1996 followed the critically acclaimed PBS special called “I Hear America Singing” and the launch of the first interdisciplinary Web site for American song by the same name (www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/). Subsequently Thomas Hampson has presented “I Hear America Singing” concerts, symposia, and radio programs throughout the world, offering various perspectives to the fascinating history of poetry, thought, and music in America.
The much anticipated cooperation between Thomas Hampson, his Hampsong Foundation and the greatest public library in the world, the Library of Congress, furthers the understanding and pride for cultural development in America for future generations.
Thomas Hampson holds honorary doctorates from the Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington, and the San Francisco Conservatory, and has recently become a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is an honorary member of London’s Royal Academy of Music and bears the titles of Kammersänger of the Vienna State Opera as well as Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des letters by the Republic of France. He was awarded the Austrian Medal of Honor in Arts and Sciences in 2004 and in 2005 he received the Edison Life Achievement Award.
More detailed information and a full discography of Thomas Hampson as well as articles, essays by Thomas Hampson and information about the Hampsong Foundation are available at www.hampsong.com.
