Stuart BurrowsOBE (born 7 February 1933) is aWelsh operatictenor.
TheCilfynydd-born singer[1] was born onWilliam Street, the same birthplace as fellow opera star SirGeraint Evans,[2] Welsh rugby internationalGlyn Davies, and politician LordMerlyn-Rees.[citation needed]
As a boy, Burrows sang soprano from his bedroom window to neighbors on the street below. His first solo performance was as a congregation member at the local Bethel Chapel, where he performed "Bless This House."
He began his working career as a teacher inBargoed, but his talent as a tenor soon brought him attention. His recitals included works byBeethoven,Berlioz,Schubert,Sullivan,Tippett,Tchaikovsky,Mahler,Offenbach, andHandel. He has earned worldwide recognition for being adept at oratorios and operas and specializing in the music ofPuccini,Verdi,Donizetti, and especiallyMozart, earning him the title of "The King of Mozart."[citation needed]
In 1963, Burrows debuted with the Welsh National Opera as Ismael in Verdi'sNabucco. In 1967, his performance during theAthens Festival brought him international acclaim with a performance of Igor Stravinsky'sOedipus rex.
He made his debut withLa Scala in Milan in 1978, singing the title role in Berlioz'sLa damnation de Faust. In New York, Burrows worked with SirGeorg Solti,Zubin Mehta,Seiji Ozawa,Leonard Bernstein, andEugene Ormandy, among others, atCarnegie Hall. He has also appeared in significant roles at theMetropolitan Opera in New York City and collaborated with several other orchestral organizations, including theAcademy of St Martin in the Fields, theBoston Symphony, theLondon Symphony Orchestra, and theRoyal Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also had several professional performances in the rarefied altitudes ofSanta Fe, New Mexico.
Some of his performances includeDon Giovanni in Brussels and at theSan Diego Opera,Madam Butterfly in Vienna,Faust in Milan,L'elisir d'amore andThe Magic Flute in San Francisco,Die Entführung aus dem Serail at theParis Opéra;Tales of Hoffmann at the Theatre Cologne and the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Belgium, theMozart Requiem at the Cardiff Festival of Choirs in Wales. Burrows performed many times with the Royal Opera, including roles inDon Pasquale,Maria Stuarda, andLa sonnambula, and touring Japan and the USA.
Although known for live and recorded performances, Burrows also made television appearances. He has appeared on the small screen in Australia, North America and Europe, including a successful BBC television series called Stuart Burrows Sings.[2]
Burrows has been received several awards and fellowships, including an Honorary Doctorate from theUniversity of Wales in 1981, a fellowship fromTrinity College, Carmarthen in 1989, an honorary fellowship from the University of Wales at Aberystwyth, and an honorary plaque affixed to a Le Shuttle locomotive granted by Eurotunnel in 1992. Also, in 2007, Burrows was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).[2]
He has also contributed to singers and charitable causes, launching an International Singing Competition and establishing an international voice award at Carmarthen's Trinity College, and is president of various charitable organizations throughout south Wales.[2]
Burrows received theFreedom of the Borough ofRhondda Cynon Taf on January 31, 2008.[3]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
