Graham Clark

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". He studied at Kirkham Grammar School and Loughborough College, and at Nottingham University qualified with a certificate of education, especially in physical education. He worked as head of physical education at several schools, in Oxford, Braintree in Essex, and Mexborough, Yorkshire. While head of department at the first sixth-form college in the country in Doncaster (1966 to 1969), Clark decided to sing just as a hobby, but wrote to Sadler's Wells Opera in London for a voice appraisal, which resulted in him meeting a senior member of their music staff, Tom Hammond, and a recommendation to take weekly lessons with Bruce Boyce.

Royal Opera House Clark performed at the Royal Opera House first as Mime in 1995, in the controversial production directed by Richard Jones, leaving a lasting impression o a reviewer from The Guardian who described the "terrifying sight of Graham Clark as the dwarf Mime, deranged by power lust, staring at the audience with penetrating, unblinking eyes and wearing the dress that belonged to Siegfried's mother, Sieglinde".

Personal life Clark married Joan Lawrence in 1979. The couple had a daughter. He received the Sir Reginald Goodall Memorial Award in 2001, and the Sherwin Award in 2009. Busoni: Die Brautwahl (Thusman) - Berlin Staatskapelle, Daniel Barenboim (Teldec) Donizetti: Maria Padilla (Ruiz) - London Symphony Orchestra, Alun Francis (Opera Rara) Gay: The Beggar's Opera (Matt) - National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge (Decca) Janáček: The Makropulos Case (Count Hauk-Šendorf) - English National Opera, Charles Mackerras (Chandos) Ligeti: Le Grand Macabre (1997 version) (Piet the Pot) - Philharmonia Orchestra, Esa-Pekka Salonen (Sony) Schreker: Der Schatzgräber (Der Narr) - Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Marc Albrecht (Challenge Classics) Strauss: Elektra (Aegisth) - West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Semyon Bychkov (Profil) Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (Valzacchi) - Dresdner Staatskapelle, Bernard Haitink (EMI) Wagner: Das Rheingold (Loge) - Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (Warner) Wagner: Siegfried (Mime) - Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Daniel Barenboim (Warner) Weill: Der Silbersee (Loterriagent) - London Sinfonietta, Markus Stenz (RCA)

Video Offenbach: Les deux Aveugles (Giraffier) as part of the film by István Szabó Offenbach's Secret (1995) Wagner: Das Rheingold (Mime) - Residentie Orchestra, Harmut Haenchen (Opus Arte) Wagner: Das Rheingold (Loge) - Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bertrand de Billy (Opus Arte) Wagner: Siegfried (Mime) - Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Bertrand de Billy (Opus Arte) Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (David) - Bayreuther Festspiele, Horst Stein (DG)