Thomas Hayward (tenor)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hayward was an American operatic tenor of note. He was the cousin of Lawrence Tibbett
.
The lyric tenor made his debut with the New York City Opera
in the fall of 1945, as Edmondo in Manon Lescaut, opposite Dorothy Kirsten
in the title role. In 1945 and 1946, he was also seen there as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana and in The Gypsy Baron.
Soon after his City Opera debut, Hayward was first seen in his many appearances at the Metropolitan Opera
, his debut being the part of Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette. His more notable roles at the Met included the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Alfred in Die Fledermaus (with Hilde Gueden
and Virginia MacWatters
), the name part in Faust, and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. His final opera at that theatre was Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, in 1957. In 1959, he returned to the City Opera, for Die Fledermaus, conducted by Julius Rudel
.
In 1963, the tenor appeared in a production by Sarah Caldwell
, for the Boston Opera Group: Faust, with Beverly Sills
and Norman Treigle
. He appeared with companies throughout the United States, and was often heard on the radio and seen on television.
Hayward's studio discography includes two recordings for CBS
: Pagliacci (as Beppe, opposite Lucine Amara
, Richard Tucker
and Giuseppe Valdengo
, 1951) and Lucia di Lammermoor (as Lord Arturo Bucklaw, with Lily Pons
and Tucker, 1954). Both albums were conducted by Fausto Cleva
.
In 1998, VAI published a Compact Disc of excerpts from a 1958 performance of La traviata, from New Orleans, with Kirsten and Cornell MacNeil
, which displays the voice in his prime.
In the mid-nineteen-sixties, Hayward left New York for Dallas, where he began a successful second career as a pedagogue at Southern Methodist University
. Among his students were Fernando del Valle
, Clifton Forbis, Timothy Jenkins, Donnie Ray Albert
and Gary Lakes
.
He continued teaching in Dallas until the year before his death, when he and his wife moved to Nevada.
Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett was a great American opera singer and recording artist who also performed as a film actor and radio personality. A baritone, he sang with the New York Metropolitan Opera company more than 600 times from 1923 to 1950...
.
The lyric tenor made his debut with the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
in the fall of 1945, as Edmondo in Manon Lescaut, opposite Dorothy Kirsten
Dorothy Kirsten
Dorothy Kirsten was an American operatic soprano.-Biography:...
in the title role. In 1945 and 1946, he was also seen there as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana and in The Gypsy Baron.
Soon after his City Opera debut, Hayward was first seen in his many appearances at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, his debut being the part of Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette. His more notable roles at the Met included the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Alfred in Die Fledermaus (with Hilde Gueden
Hilde Gueden
The Austrian soprano Hilde Gueden, or Güden was one of the most appreciated Straussian and Mozartian sopranos of her days...
and Virginia MacWatters
Virginia MacWatters
Virginia MacWatters was an acclaimed American coloratura soprano.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, MacWatters studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, and sang 611 Broadway performances of Adele in Rosalinda , conducted by Erich Korngold, from 1942 to 1944...
), the name part in Faust, and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. His final opera at that theatre was Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, in 1957. In 1959, he returned to the City Opera, for Die Fledermaus, conducted by Julius Rudel
Julius Rudel
Julius Rudel is an American opera and orchestra conductor who emigrated to the United States from Austria at the age of 17 and studied conducting at the Mannes College of Music in New York City. He then forged a 35-year career with the New York City Opera, from 1944 to 1979, and was the Music...
.
In 1963, the tenor appeared in a production by Sarah Caldwell
Sarah Caldwell
Sarah Caldwell was a notable American opera conductor, impresario, and stage director of opera.- Life :Caldwell was born in Maryville, Missouri, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was a child prodigy and gave public performances on the violin by the time she was ten years old...
, for the Boston Opera Group: Faust, with Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
and Norman Treigle
Norman Treigle
Norman Treigle was an American operatic bass-baritone, who was acclaimed for his great abilities as a singing-actor, and specialized in roles that evoked villainy and terror....
. He appeared with companies throughout the United States, and was often heard on the radio and seen on television.
Hayward's studio discography includes two recordings for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
: Pagliacci (as Beppe, opposite Lucine Amara
Lucine Amara
Lucine Amara is an American soprano who was largely based at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.-Biography:Amara was born Lucine Armaganian in Hartford, Connecticut, of Armenian heritage, before moving to San Francisco where she was raised.She studied at the San Francisco's Community Music School...
, Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker was an American operatic tenor.-Early life:Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a family of Romanian immigrants from Bessarabia. His father, Shmul Ticker, and mother Fanya-Tsipa Ticker had already adopted the surname "Tucker" by the time their son entered first...
and Giuseppe Valdengo
Giuseppe Valdengo
Giuseppe Valdengo was an Italian operatic baritone. Opera News said that, "Although his timbre lacked the innate beauty of some of his baritone contemporaries, Valdengo's performances were invariably satisfying — bold and assured in attack but scrupulously musical."-Biography:Valdengo first...
, 1951) and Lucia di Lammermoor (as Lord Arturo Bucklaw, with Lily Pons
Lily Pons
Lily Pons was a French-American operatic soprano and actress who had an active career from the late 1920s through the early 1970s. As an opera singer she specialized in the coloratura soprano repertoire and was particularly associated with the title roles in Léo Delibes' Lakmé and Gaetano...
and Tucker, 1954). Both albums were conducted by Fausto Cleva
Fausto Cleva
Fausto Cleva was an Italian-born American operatic conductor.After studies at the Conservatorio in his native city and Milan, Cleva made his debut conducting La traviata in Carcano, near Milan, before emigrating to the United States in 1920, becoming an American citizen in 1931...
.
In 1998, VAI published a Compact Disc of excerpts from a 1958 performance of La traviata, from New Orleans, with Kirsten and Cornell MacNeil
Cornell MacNeil
Cornell MacNeil , was an American operatic baritone known for his exceptional voice and long career with the Metropolitan Opera, which spanned 642 performances in twenty-six roles. F...
, which displays the voice in his prime.
In the mid-nineteen-sixties, Hayward left New York for Dallas, where he began a successful second career as a pedagogue at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. Among his students were Fernando del Valle
Fernando del Valle
Fernando del Valle is an American operatic tenor.-Ancestry:He took the name del Valle in honour of his grandfather, Fernando Meléndez del Valle, who was also a tenor...
, Clifton Forbis, Timothy Jenkins, Donnie Ray Albert
Donnie Ray Albert
Donnie Ray Albert is an American operatic baritone who has had an active international career since 1976.-Life and career:...
and Gary Lakes
Gary Lakes
-Biography:Lakes was born in Woodward, Oklahoma, and raised in Irving, Texas. He made his professional debut with the Seattle Opera in the role of Froh in 1981 in Wagner's Das Rheingold, after attending Southern Methodist University...
.
He continued teaching in Dallas until the year before his death, when he and his wife moved to Nevada.