Marcus Haddock

Marcus Haddock (born 19 June 1957) is an American opera singer and voice teacher who in the course of his 25-year stage career sang leading tenor roles throughout the United States and Europe. Born in Fort Worth, Texas and trained at the Boston University College of Fine Arts under Phyllis Curtin, Haddock began his career in the United States after winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1984. From the late 1980s to the late 1990s he was primarily based in Europe where he sang in all the major opera houses, sometimes performing under the name Marcus Jerome-Haddock.

A series of house and orchestra debuts in the United States followed over the next three years, with Haddock's early roles primarily in the tenore di grazia repertoire—Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri, and Tonio in La fille du régiment. Haddock made his European debut in 1986 as Ford in Salieri's Falstaff with Opéra National de Bordeaux and returned there the following year as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore. In 1992 he joined the Opera Bonn ensemble where he made several role debuts including the title roles of The Tales of Hoffmann and Werther, and Roberto in Puccini's Le Villi. He remained based in Europe throughout most of the 1990s, although he returned to the US in 1998 to appear as Ruggero in Washington National Opera's production of La rondine, and increasingly assayed lyric tenor roles, singing as a guest artist at the Vienna Staatsoper, La Scala and the Opéra Bastille in Paris.

Haddock retired from the opera stage in 2009. He was preparing to leave for a series of opera engagements in Europe in March of that year when he suffered two massive strokes in 24 hours at his home in Skaneateles, New York where he and wife Kathleen had settled in the late 1990s. The strokes left him partially paralyzed on his left side and also affected his voice. After three years of rehabilitation, surgery, and physiotherapy, he began a new career as a voice teacher. He initially taught in his private studio in Skaneateles and at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He continues to teach at his private studio and at Colgate University.

Recordings Haddock's full-length opera recordings include: Mercadante: Orazi e Curiazi – Nelly Miricioiu (Camilla), Anthony Michaels-Moore (Orazio), Marcus Haddock (Curiazio), Alastair Miles (Old Orazio); Philharmonia Orchestra and the Mitchell Choir, David Parry (conductor). Released on CD in 1995. Label: Opera Rara. Puccini: La Rondine – Ainhoa Arteta (Magda), Marcus Haddock (Ruggero), Inva Mula (Lisette), Richard Troxell (Prunier), William Parcher (Rambaldo); Washington National Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Emmanuel Villaume (conductor). Recorded live at Washington National Opera in 1998, released on DVD in 2009. Label: Decca Montemezzi: L'amore dei tre re – Denia Mazzola-Gavazzeni (Fiora), Marcus Haddock (Avito), Stephan Pyatnychko (Manfredo), Kurt Rydl (Arcibaldo); Vienna Symphony, Bregenz Festival Chorus, Vladimir Fedoseyev (conductor). Recorded live at the Bregenz Festival in 1998, released on CD in 1999. Label: Koch Schwann Bizet: Carmen – Anne Sofie von Otter (Carmen), Marcus Haddock (Don José), Lisa Milne (Micaëla), Laurent Naouri (Escamillo); London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippe Jordan (conductor). Recorded live at the Glyndebourne Opera House in 2002, released on DVD in 2003. Label: Opus Arte Puccini: La bohème – Norah Amsellem (Mimì), Marcus Haddock (Rodolfo), Georgia Jarman (Musetta), Fabio Capitanucci (Marcello), Christopher Schaldenbrand (Schaunard), Denis Sedov (Colline), Kevin Glavin (Benoit); Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Robert Spano (conductor). Recorded live at Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta in 2007, released on CD in 2008. Label: Telarc.