Graham Clark (tenor)

Graham Clark
Clark in the 1990s
Born(1941-11-10)10 November 1941
Littleborough, Lancashire, England
Died6 July 2023(2023-07-06) (aged 81)
EducationLoughborough University
OccupationClassical tenor
Organizations
AwardsOlivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Graham Ronald Clark (10 November 1941 – 6 July 2023) was an English operatic tenor, known for roles such as David in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and especially the character roles Loge and Mime in Der Ring des Nibelungen. He was a principal with the English National Opera from 1978 to 1985, and performed at leading European and North American opera houses after he was recognised at the Bayreuth Festival in 1981, returning for 15 seasons. Clark appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in 112 performances over 15 seasons. He took part in world premieres and recorded for major companies. He is remembered as a "superb, athletic actor with a strong, penetrating voice and exceptionally clear diction".[1] Barry Millington from The Guardian summarised: "Though he made his career as a comprimario tenor, putatively subordinate to the principal roles, his incisively focused voice, hyperactive stage presence and musico-dramatic intelligence frequently conspired to make him the main attraction."[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Forbes-2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Millington-2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).