Herbert Handt

Herbert John Handt (May 26, 1926 – October 2, 2023) was an American operatic tenor and later conductor, particularly known for his conducting and editions of rarely performed Italian scores. Handt was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied at the Juilliard School of Music and the Vienna Academy of Music. He made his debut as a singer at the Vienna State Opera in 1949 and his debut as a conductor in Rome in 1960. In the U.S., he sang with Arturo Toscanini conducting.

Roles created In his career as a tenor, Handt created roles in three 20th-century operas: Don Giovanni Mediana in Malipiero's Venere prigioniera (Teatro della Pergola, Florence, 14 May 1957) Zuckertanz in Menotti's Maria Golovin (Theatre of the US Pavillon, Brussels World's Fair, 20 August 1958) Primo omuncolo in Roberto Lupi's Persefone (Teatro Comunale, Florence, 9 January 1970)