James Morris

James Peppler Morris (born 10 January 1947) is an American bass-baritone opera singer. He is known for his interpretation of the role of Wotan in Richard Wagner's operatic cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen. The Metropolitan Opera video recording of the complete cycle with Morris as Wotan has been described as an "exceptional issue on every count." It was broadcast on PBS in 1990, to the largest viewing audience of the Ring Cycle in human history. Life and career James Morris was born in Baltimore, Maryland on January 10, 1947. There he studied voice privately with Rosa Ponselle He also has a daughter, Heather.

As of August 2015, Morris is a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music.

Awards and notable recordings 1990 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording: Richard Wagner's Die Walküre, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. 1991 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording: Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Available on DVD, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by Richard Wagner, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. Sung by James Morris, Karita Mattila and Ben Heppner, etc. Produced by Deutsche Grammophon. Available on DVD, Otello by Giuseppe Verdi, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. Sung by Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming and James Morris, etc. Produced by Deutsche Grammophon. Available on DVD, Luisa Miller by Giuseppe Verdi, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. Sung by Bonaldo Giaiotti, Plácido Domingo, Jean Kraft, Sherrill Milnes, James Morris and Renata Scotto, etc. Produced by Deutsche Grammophon. Available on DVD, James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, conducted by James Levine. Produced by Deutsche Grammophon.