Thomas Hampson

Baritone Thomas Hampson brings the Verdi bicentennial into focus this summer when he reprises two signature roles, headlining Simon Boccanegra at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (June 27-July 16) and singing Rodrigo in the Salzburg Festival’s new Don Carlo (Aug 13-28), as well as singing Verdi favorites in concert with tenor Rolando Villazón in Munich (July 6). Both opera productions will be led by Antonio Pappano, with whom the baritone also looks forward to celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Britten’s birth at the Salzburg Festival, where they will present the English composer’s harrowing War Requiem (Aug 18). And Hampson pays tribute to Wagner’s bicentennial when he undertakes Amfortas in Parsifal at the Bayerische Staatsoper under Kent Nagano (July 31).

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Gramophone has just announced its 2013 “Hall of Fame” inductees, and Thomas Hampson is one of seven singers to join the luminaries that began to be assembled when the magazine began the honors last year.  Among this year’s honorees are a number of artists with whom Hampson has worked with closely throughout his career, including conductors James Levine, Zubin Mehta and Mariss Jansons, as well as soprano Renée Fleming and Anna Netrebko.  Gramophone’s complete list of new inductees, and the complete “Hall of Fame” roster, can be found here: http://www.gramophone.co.uk/HallofFame

Thomas Hampson gives the world premiere of a new song commission from one of America’s principal younger composers,Mark Adamo. Scored for baritone and string quartet, Adamo’s Aristotle (2013) was written for Hampson to sing with the Jupiter String Quartet. After giving its world premiere performance together at UC Davis on Wednesday, April 24, they will tour the new work to Boston’s Celebrity Series (Fri, April 26) and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where they will present its New York premiere on Sunday, April 28.

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Returning to one of his favorite, signature roles, Thomas Hampson stars in concert performances of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra that will be recorded for future release on Decca.  With Hampson in the title role, and a vibrant cast including Kristine Opolais, Carlo Colombara, Joseph Calleja and Luca Pisaroni, the performances on April 13 and 17 with the Vienna Symphony will be conducted by Massimo Zanetti at Vienna’s famed Konzerthaus.  Hampson comments, “I am very grateful that Decca and I have been able to put together this concert recording of Boccanegra.  Zanetti is a friend and a great conductor, and I’m thrilled to be able to record this opera that has meant so much to my life and career.”