Jean Bonhomme

Jean Robert Gérard Joseph Bonhomme (February 14, 1937 – June 19, 1986) was a Canadian tenor who had an active international performance career during the 1960s and 1970s. He also appeared in principal roles as a guest artist in theaters throughout Europe, North America, and in South Africa. After retiring from the stage in 1976 he worked as a police officer with the Correctional Service of Canada until his death in 1986. Jean Robert Gérard Joseph Bonhomme was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on February 14, 1937. His father was a baby food salesman. At the age of 16 he began studying at the University of Ottawa (UO). He supported himself by working as a janitor at a nearby school during this time. In 1956 he portrayed a soldier in UO's production of Dryden's Troilus and Cressida. He graduated from the UO in 1957 While in college he married Jean Wigmore.

Bonhomme began singing at a Catholic church while at UO and was frequently a soloist at weddings without ever having singing training. That same year he won first prize at the CBC Talent Festival. He made his professional opera debut at the Avon Theatre on August 4, 1964, as Don Basilio in the Stratford Festival's (SF) production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with Jan Rubeš as Figaro, Laurel Hurley as Susanna, Ilona Kombrink as the Countess, and Cornelis Opthof as the Count. He returned to the SF in 1965 to portray Fatty the Bookkeeper in the North American premiere of Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.

In 1964-1965 Bonhomme was committed to the Sadler's Wells Opera (SWO) He subsequently had tremendous success with the SWO as John Styx in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. He also performed the roles of Don Basilio and Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly with the SWO. He performed the role of Rodolfo in the opera for his debut with the Canadian Opera Company (COC) on September 23, 1965. He returned to the COC in the title role of Gounod's Faust in 1966. The following month he portrayed his first leading tenor role at the ROH, Rodolfo in La bohème, with Joan Carlyle as Mimì. Other leading roles he performed with the company in the 1960s included Aeneas in Les Troyens, Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen, Pinkerton, and Pylade in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride.

In February 1967 he was the tenor soloist in Roméo et Juliette by Berlioz with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under conductor Gary Bertini at Royal Festival Hall. He sang this work again with this orchestra under Colin Davis the following December with Josephine Veasey as his fellow soloist. In March 1967 he was the tenor soloist in Mozart's Requiem with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by Zubin Mehta at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. In 1969 he made his debut at the Paris Opera as Aeneas in Les Troyens. This concert was recorded and later released on disc on the Opera Rara label in 2004.

Bonhomme also appeared as a guest artist in lead roles at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, the Opéra de Marseille, the Hungarian State Opera, and the Dutch National Opera in the late 1960s. and as Don José in 1970–1971 and again in 1974, performing in this latter year with Kiri Te Kanawa as Micaëla and Viorica Cortez in the title role. He appeared as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca at the ROH in 1972 and again in 1973. His final performance at the ROH was in 1976. and the Connecticut Opera in 1973. He also starred in a production of Carmen in South Africa in 1972. and also performed the role of Erik in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer in August 1971. He performed twice with the Opéra de Québec in the 1970s, portraying Luigi in Il tabarro in 1971 and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana in 1973.

In 1974 he alternated with Tom Swift in the title role of Verdi's Don Carlos at the English National Opera. In 1975 he portrayed John the Baptist in the New Orleans Opera's production of Massenet's Hérodiade.

In 1976 he was tenor soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. That same year he portrayed Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with the Southern Alberta Opera Association, a company he had previously appeared with as Faust in 1975.

Later life and death After retiring from the stage in 1976, Bonhomme worked as a police officer with the Correctional Service of Canada. He and his wife had two daughters, Stephanie and Julie. He died on June 19, 1986, in Ottawa at the age of 49.