Baritone Richard Conrad Has Died at 84

According to Opera Wire, opera singer Richard Conrad has died at age 84 at his home in Elio, Maine following his battle with an illness.

Conrad studied as a baritone in Boston, and made his operatic debut in the American premiere of Mozart's "La Finta Semplice" in 1961. He recorded bel canto repertoire with Joan Sutherland, Marilyn Horne, and Richard Bonynge.

From 1966 to the late 1970s, Conrad was based in Italy, but he performed on stage, radio, and television in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Africa.

In 1983 a mugging incident left Conrad with vocal damage, requiring him to "re-develop his natural baritone." He then began to take on comedic roles of Gilbert and Sullivan, Rossini, and Donizetti.

In addition to performing, Conrad was also a producer, director, and teacher. He served as the Artistic Director of the Boston Academy of Music for 23 years, after he re-founded the institution in 1980. Conrad also founded the Bostonian Opera and Concert Ensemble, also known as The Bostonians.

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