Glossop, Peter

▪ 2009

      British opera singer

born July 6, 1928, Wadsley, Sheffield, Yorkshire, Eng.

died Sept. 7, 2008, Rousdon, Devon, Eng.

was a powerful onstage presence with a robust, well-placed voice that made him one of the leading interpreters of Giuseppe Verdi great baritone roles; in 1965 he became the first Englishman to sing Verdi (Rigoletto) at Milan's La Scala. He was also a notable interpreter of Benjamin Britten, especially as the lead in Billy Budd. After his national service, Glossop worked as a bank clerk while studying singing and, from 1949, performing with the local Sheffield Operatic Society. He auditioned for the chorus at the Sadler's Wells Opera (now the English National Opera) in 1952, and by 1955 he was one of the company's principal baritones. He made his debut at the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in 1961 and soon was performing throughout Europe and the U.S. From 1979 until his retirement in 1985, Glossop expanded his repertoire to include Wagnerian roles. His autobiography, Peter Glossop, the Story of a Yorkshire Baritone, was published in 2004.

* * *