Richard J. Clark


Richard J. Clark is an American operatic baritone. He studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts and the Juilliard School.

Career

Born in Tucson, Arizona, Clark began his career at the San Francisco Opera as the Creditor in Milhaud's Christophe Colomb on October 5, 1968. He continued with that company until 1974, in Ernani ; Les Troyens ; Salome ; Rigoletto ; Fidelio ; La forza del destino ; La traviata ; Pelléas et Mélisande ; Le nozze di Figaro ; Roméo et Juliette ; The Consul, the United States première of Der Besuch der alten Dame ; Tosca ; Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Carmen, and Of Mice and Men.
In 1981, Clark made his official début with the Metropolitan Opera, as Monterone in John Dexter's production of Rigoletto, opposite Matteo Manuguerra and Judith Blegen. The baritone continued with the company in Il tabarro ; Il trovatore ; Parsifal ; La Gioconda ; the Met première of Idomeneo ; Tannhäuser ; Tristan und Isolde ; Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny ; Billy Budd ; Simon Boccanegra ; Die Meistersinger ; Parsifal again ; Rigoletto ; Cavalleria rusticana ; Francesca da Rimini ; La traviata ; Madama Butterfly ; Fidelio ; Boris Godunov ; and Il trovatore again. His final appearance with the company was of the name part of Rigoletto, on tour to Rutgers University, in a concert version, in 1990.
Clark participated in the Met telecasts of Rigoletto, Idomeneo, Tannhäuser, and, most importantly, Simon Boccanegra. In 1996, his album Keep a Little Christmas in Your Heart was published on Compact Disc.

Videography