Simon Keenlyside

Keenlyside was born in London, the son of Raymond and Ann Keenlyside. Raymond played second violin in the Aeolian Quartet, and Ann's father was the violinist Leonard Hirsch. When he was eight, he was enrolled in St John's College School, a boarding school for the boy choristers of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge and spent much of his childhood touring and recording with the choir under the direction of choirmaster George Guest.Kellow, Brian (December 2002).[http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2002/12/Features/The_Poetry_of_Risk.html "The Poetry of Risk"]. Opera News, Vol. 67, No. 6

He later attended Reed's School in Cobham, before studying zoology at Cambridge University. He returned to St John's as a choral scholar, before studying singing at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. After graduation, he won a Peter Moores Foundation scholarship (1985) and joined the Royal Northern College of Music to study voice with the baritone John Cameron where he developed a love for lieder and German poetry.

Keenlyside made his first appearance in a major operatic role in 1987 as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut at the Royal Northern College of Music. Opera magazine remarked on it being an "astonishingly mature" performance, and that he "used his warm and clear baritone with notable musicianship".Allison, John (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XwUYAQAAIAAJ&q=used+his+warm+and+clear+baritone+with+notable+musicianship&dq=used+his+warm+and+clear+baritone+with+notable+musicianship&hl=en Baritones in Opera: Profiles of Fifteen Great Baritones], p. 81. Opera Magazine Ltd. The Richard Tauber prize, which he won in 1986, allowed him to go to Salzburg for further study. His money ran out before he could finish his four-month term there, but Rudolf Knoll, a teacher at the Salzburg Mozarteum, gave him private lessons for free. Knoll encouraged him to work on the Italian repertoire while he was still young, and introduced him to the Hilbert agency which got him singing jobs in Germany. His professional debut as a baritone came in 1988, at the Hamburg State Opera as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro.

In 1989, Keenlyside joined the roster of Scottish Opera, where he stayed until 1994, performing as, among other roles, Marcello (La bohème), Danilo (The Merry Widow), Harlequin (Ariadne auf Naxos), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Figaro (Barber of Seville), Billy Budd (Billy Budd), Papageno (Zauberflöte) and Belcore (L'elisir d'amore).

During this period, he made debut performances at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, (1989 singing Silvio), English National Opera (Guglielmo), Welsh National Opera, San Francisco Opera, Geneva, Paris, and Sydney. He sang for Glyndebourne for the first time in 1993 and made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1996. Keenlyside has performed at virtually all the major opera houses in the world, including the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.

Keenlyside sang in the world premieres of two 21st-century operas, creating the roles of Prospero in Thomas Adès' The Tempest in 2004, and Winston Smith in Lorin Maazel's 1984 in 2005.Duchen, Jessica (12 March 2007).[https://web.archive.org/web/20091018071307/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/simon-keenlyside-the-sound-and-the-fury-439823.html "Simon Keenlyside: The sound and the fury"]. The Independent He later participated in the EMI Classics world premiere recording of The Tempest.[http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=2777&newssectionID=1 James Inverne, "EMI to release Adés’s The Tempest". Gramophone, 20 March 2007.]

In 2010 Keenlyside sang the role of Rodrigo in a new production of Don Carlo at the Metropolitan Opera opposite Roberto Alagna to critical acclaim.{{cite web|last1=Tommasini|first1=Anthony|title=A Winning, Cautious 'Don Carlo' at the Met|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/arts/music/24carlo.html?_r=0|work=The New York Times|date=23 November 2010 |access-date=6 November 2014}}

Keenlyside added the role of Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande to his repertoire in a new production which premiered at Wiener Staatsoper on 18 June 2017 (he previously sang the role of Pelléas for many years). The following afternoon, he was awarded the title of Kammersänger by the Austrian government in a ceremony in the Teesalon of the opera house.

His recordings include several issues for Hyperion Records, including music of Benjamin Britten, Emmanuel Chabrier, Maurice Duruflé and Henry Purcell. He is also a featured singer on five volumes of the Hyperion Franz Schubert Edition and on the second volume of the Hyperion Robert Schumann Edition. In 2007 Sony Music released a recital disc of arias entitled Tales of Opera.Gramophone (2007).[http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/Awards%202007/61/796662/RECITAL Awards Special Issue], p. 61.

Keenlyside is married to the Royal Ballet former principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky.{{cite news | url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/story/0,,2164523,00.html | title=The call of the wild | work = The Guardian | author=Wroe, Nicholas | date=8 September 2007 | access-date= 8 September 2007}} Simon and Zenaida had their first child, a son called Owen, on 12th October 2008. Their second child, a daughter called Iona, was born on 7th March 2010.

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• Winston Smith in 1984For a complete list of Keenlyside's roles see also [http://archive.simonkeenlyside.info/index.php/performances/performances-opera/ List of roles at www.simonkeenlyside.info]
• Harlequin in Ariadne auf NaxosKesting, Jürgen (2008). Die grossen Sänger, Vol. 4, p. 2065. Hoffmann und Campe {{in lang|de}}
• Ubalde in Armide
• Figaro and Fiorello in The Barber of SevilleWhite, Michael (14 May 2003). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/3594478/Sweet-prince-of-song.html "Sweet prince of song"]. Daily Telegraph
• Billy Budd and Donald in Billy Budd
• Marcello and Schaunard in La bohème
• Catechiste in BriséïsLuten, C. J., (January 1996). [https://web.archive.org/web/20181119084922/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-9109416.html Recording Review: Chabrier's Briseis by Rodgers, Harries, Padmore, Keenlyside, George and the BBC Scottish Orchestra and Chamber Chorus under Jean Yves Ossonce]. Opera News {{subscription required}}
• Mercurio in La CalistoGramophone (September 1995). [http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/September%201995/103/850031/QCavaIIi+LOrmindo.+John+Wakefield+(ten)+Ormindo+PeterCliristoph+Runge+(bar)+Amida+Isabel+Garcisanz+(mez)+Nerillo+Haiineke+van+Bork+(sop)+Side+Jean+Allister+(mez)+Melide+Hugues+Cu%C3%A9nod+(ten)+Erice+Anne+Howells+(mez)+Erisbe+Jane+Berbi%C3%A9+(mez)+Mirinda+Federico+Davia+(bass)+Ariadeno+Richard+Van+Allan+(bass)+Osmano+London+Philharmonic+Orchestra++Raymond+Leppard.#header-logo Review: Harmonia Mundi CD HMC90 1515/7]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (1996 live recording from Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie), p. 103
• Olivier in CapriccioMetropolitan Opera. [http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch2k.r?Term=Keenlyside,%20Simon%20%5BBaritone%5D&limit=5000&vsrchtype=no&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&Start=&End=&theterm=K%65%65nl%79sid%65,%20Simon%20%5BBa%72i%74on%65%5D&srt=&x=0&xHome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xHomePath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/ Archives: Keenlyside, Simon (Baritone)]
• Morales in Carmen
• Dandini in La CenerentolaListed in the cast for the performances at the Opéra Garnier in September 1998. See [https://books.google.com/books?id=QBkyAQAAIAAJ&dq=Keenlyside+Blake+Cenerentola+Op%C3%A9ra+Garnier&q=Keenlyside+ L'Événement du jeudi, Issues 718–725], p. 82 {{in lang|fr}}
• Guglielmo in Così fan tutteGlyndebourne Festival Opera. [https://archive.today/20130124053237/http://glyndebourne.com/search/node/Keenlyside Archives: Keenlyside]
• Abayaldos in Dom Sébastien
• Posa and Flemish Deputy in Don Carlos
• Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni
• Belcore in L'elisir d'amoreLa Scala. [http://www.archiviolascala.org Archives: Keenlyside] {{subscription required}}
• Onegin in Eugene OneginJahn, George (7 March 2009). [http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar07/0,4670,EUAustriaOperaOnegin,00.html "Splendid music, but the staging – brrr!"]. Associated Press
• Ford in Falstaff
• Valentin and Wagner in Faust
• Prisoner in FidelioListed in projected cast for the performances at the Royal Opera House in November–December 1990. See Opera, Vol. 41, Issues 7–12, p. 1201
• Falke in Die FledermausLoveland, Kenneth (December 1991). [https://books.google.com/books?id=CEUqAQAAIAAJ&dq=keenlyside+watson+bronder+kitchen+Fledermaus&q=Falke Review: Die Fledermaus, Welsh National Opera, New Theatre, Cardiff], Opera, Volume 42, p. 1479
• Hamlet in Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet
• Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride
• Macbeth in Macbeth
• Gendarme/Le directeur in Les Mamelles de TirésiasListed in the cast for the concert performances at Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Queen Elisabeth Hall (March 1995). See Opera, Vol. 45, Issues 7–12, p. 1299
• Lescaut in Manon LescautSmith, Mike (25 April 2008). [http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/2008/04/25/from-turandot-to-tree-planting-with-opera-singer-simon-keenlyside-91466-20816991/ "From Turandot to tree-planting with opera singer Simon Keenlyside"]. Western Mail
• Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro
• Nightwatchman in Die Meistersinger von NürnbergOne of his earliest roles. According to [http://www.simonkeenlyside.info/index.php/performances/performances-opera/meistersinger-von-nurnberg-wagner-nachtwachter-nightwatchman/ simonkeenlyside.info], he sang this at the Hamburg State Opera in June 1988.
• Danilo in The Merry WidowTumelty, Michael (20 September 1989). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dzFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R1kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5128,977065&dq=keenlyside+danilo&hl=en "Review: Theatre Royal, Glasgow, The Merry Widow"], p. 14. Glasgow Herald
• Orfeo in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, favola in musicaSulcas, Roslyn (28 June 1998). [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/28/arts/dance-master-of-movement-decides-to-tell-a-story-with-an-opera.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm "Master of Movement Decides to Tell a Story With an Opera"]. New York Times
• Montano in Verdi's OtelloMilnes, Rodney (November 1997) "Simon Keenlyside". Opera, Vol. 53, Issue 1, pp. 80–87
• Silvio in PagliacciJampol, Joshua (2010). [https://books.google.com/books?id=zu1POB-1VMkC&pg=PT255&dq=Keenlyside+Pagliacci&hl=en# Living Opera]. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-538138-6}}
• Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande
• Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande
• Ned Keene in Peter GrimesBlyth, Alan (June 1996). [http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/June%201996/23/810457/Taking+off "Taking off"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100630092646/http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/June%201996/23/810457/Taking+off |date=30 June 2010 }}. Gramophone, p. 23
• Prince Yeletski in The Queen of SpadesRadio Canada. [http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/documents_pdf/calendrier_de_diffusion_1998_1999.pdf Opéra du samedi, Calendrier de diffusion, Saison 1998–1999] {{in lang|fr}}
• Tarquinius in The Rape of LucretiaMonelle, Raymond (23 August 1999). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/edinburgh-this-tragic-no-mans-land-1114521.html "Edinburgh: This tragic no man's land"]. The Independent
• Rigoletto in RigolettoEvans, Eian (27 June 2010). [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jun/27/rigoletto-welsh-national-opera "Review: Rigoletto, Millennium Centre, Cardiff"]. The Guardian
• Arthus in Le Roi ArthusTanner, Michael (9 September 2000). [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200009/ai_n8913567/ "Brighter shades of pale"]. The Spectator
• Wolfram in Tannhäuser[https://books.google.com/books?id=IIcrAQAAIAAJ&q=Keenlyside+Wolfram&dq=Keenlyside+Wolfram&hl=en Western European stages, Volume 15 (2003)], p. 42. Center for Advanced Study in Theatre Arts
• Prospero in The Tempest
• Giorgio Germont in TraviataBayerische Staatsoper (2009) [http://secure.staatsoper.de/upload/media/200906/15/09/rsys_28003_4a35fc77125da.pdf Cast list: La Traviata, 12 June 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425091716/http://secure.staatsoper.de/upload/media/200906/15/09/rsys_28003_4a35fc77125da.pdf |date=25 April 2012 }} {{in lang|de}}
• Steersman in Tristan und Isolde
• Ping in TurandotRoyal Opera House. [http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?person=Keenlyside&searchtype=performance&page=0 Archives: Keenlyside]
• Andrei in Prokofiev's War and PeaceChristiansen, Rupert (1 November 2001). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4179911/Opera-War-and-Peace-ENO-Coliseum.html Review: "War and Peace ENO, Coliseum – All-conquering confidence"]. Daily Telegraph
• Wozzeck in Wozzeck
• Papageno in Die Zauberflöte

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• 1986: Richard Tauber Prize
• 1987: Winner of the Walther Gruner International Lieder competition{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}
• 1990: First Prize, Elly Ameling competitionKennedy, Michael (1994). [https://books.google.com/books?id=aei2AAAAIAAJ&q=%22Elly+Ameling%22+keenlyside+1990&dq=%22Elly+Ameling%22+keenlyside+1990&hl=en Music Enriches All: The Royal Northern College of Music : The First Twenty-one Years], p. 77. Carcanet. {{ISBN|1-85754-085-9}}
• 1994: Singer of the Year Award from the Royal Philharmonic SocietyRoyal Philharmonic Society. [http://www.rpsmusicawards.com/undefined//?page=pastwinners/pastsinger.html Past RPS Music Awards Winners: Singers]
• 2003: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Birthday Honours for services to MusicBBC News (29 October 2003). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3223835.stm "TV chef collects MBE"]{{London Gazette |issue=56963 |date=14 June 2003 |supp=y |pages=8 }}
• 2004: Opera Award for the category Best Baritone (Don Giovanni, Théâtre de la Monnaie) from the Italian magazine L'Opera.L'Opera (December 2004)
• 2004: XII Premios de la Crítica award to Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay in Hamlet for the best male and female singers in a staged opera.Avui (20 October 2004) [http://hemerotecadigital.institutdelteatre.cat/jspui/bitstream/65324/8889/1/20041020MAE-AVUI-I.pdf "Siegfried, millor òpera de la temporada anterior"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003459/http://hemerotecadigital.institutdelteatre.cat/jspui/bitstream/65324/8889/1/20041020MAE-AVUI-I.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}, p. 46 {{in lang|ca}}
• 2005: Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording Marriage of FigaroAssociated Press (13 February 2005). [https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/awards/grammys/2005-02-13-grammy-pretelecast-winners_x.htm "Pre-telecast Grammy Award winners"]. USA Today
• 2006: Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, for his work in the ROH production of 1984 and ENO's Billy Budd in 2005.Laurence Olivier Awards (26 February 2006). [http://www.olivierawards.com/news/view/item71568/Keenlyside-wins-opera-prize/ "Keenlyside wins opera prize"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507134853/http://www.olivierawards.com/news/view/item71568/Keenlyside-wins-opera-prize/ |date=7 May 2012 }}, www.olivierawards.com He was a nominee for this award in 2004 for The Royal Opera's Hamlet and Die Zauberflote.Associated Press (15 January 2004)[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=APAB&d_place=APAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1006A9ED6D872B71&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Complete list of nominees for the 2004 Laurence Olivier Awards"] {{subscription required}}
• 2007: ECHO Klassik Award, Singer of the Year (male)merkur-online.de (22 October 2007). [http://www.merkur-online.de/nachrichten/kultur/echo-klassik-elina-garanca-keenlyside-jansons-12901.html "Echo Klassik für Elina Garanca, Keenlyside und Jansons"] {{in lang|de}}
• 2007: XV Premios de la Crítica award for Best Recital ArtistABC (11 October 2007). [http://www.abc.es/hemeroteca/historico-11-10-2007/abc/Catalunya/boulevard-solitude-de-henze-se-impone-en-los-premios-de-la-critica_164111400226 "«Boulevard Solitude», de Henze, se impone en los premios de la crítica"] {{in lang|es}}
• 2007: Gramophone Award, Best of Category (Recital) for his debut recital album Tales of Opera
• 2010: Gramophone Award, Best of Category (Contemporary) for the CD The Tempest, singing ProsperoGramophone (30 September 2010). [http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/gramophone-awards-2010-unveiled "Gramophone Awards 2010 unveiled"]
• 2011: Musical America's Vocalist of the Year awardWaleson, Heidi (2011). [http://www.musicalamerica.com/features/?fid=169&fyear=2011 "The 2011 Honorees: Simon Keenlyside, Vocalist of the Year"]. Musical America
• 2017: Austrian Kammersänger{{cite web |date=19 June 2017 |title=Simon Keenlyside wurde österreichischer Kammersänger |url=https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/die-staatsoper/aktuelles/detail/news/simon-keenlyside-wurde-osterreichischer-kammersanger/ |work=Wiener Staatsoper |location=Vienna |language=de |access-date=24 February 2019}}
• 2018: Knighted in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to Music[https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714825/Birthday_Honours_2018_-_the_Prime_Minister_s_list.pdf Birthday Honours lists 2018]

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{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.simonkeenlyside.info simonkeenlyside.info] – Biography, schedule, discography, media database
• [http://www.cmusic.tv/watchvideo/468 Television interview with Simon Keenlyside] on C Music TV
• [http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/baritone-bass-baritone/simon-keenlyside Simon Keenlyside] on Askonas Holt Artists' Management

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Category:1959 births

Category:20th-century British male opera singers

Category:21st-century British male opera singers

Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge

Category:Alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:English operatic baritones

Category:Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Reed's School

Category:Singers from London

Category:Grammy Award winners

Category:Knights Bachelor

Category:Österreichischer Kammersänger

Category:Singers awarded knighthoods