Opera Legend Nico Castel Hand Signed FDC Dated 1969 JG Autographs COA

  

"Comprimario Tenor" Nico Castel Hand Signed First Day Cover Dated 1969. This item is certified authentic by JG Autographs and comes with their Certificate of Authenticity.

(August 1, 1931 - May 31, 2015), born Naftali Chaim Castel Kalinhoff, was a. And well-known language and diction coach, as well as a prolific translator of libretti and writer of books on singing diction.

Although Castel performed throughout Europe, North America and South America, he was best known for his nearly 800 performances at. Where he also served as staff diction coach for three decades. Portugal, the scion of a multigenerational dynasty of. Rabbis with roots in 15th century.

By multilingual parents and a German nanny and attended a French school in. After some vocal study in. In Germany, Castel moved to New York City at the age of 16 to pursue a singing career and to study. In the early 1950s, he served in the United States Army as a translator in Germany. In 1958, he became the first winner of the "Joy in Singing" award, which launched his career with a recital at.

He began calling himself "Nico Castel" early in his singing career. In June 1958 he made his debut with.

The following month he portrayed Joseph in the world premiere of. In 1965, he first performed with the. And performing with that company in numerous roles thereafter. In 1970, he debuted as Don Basilio in Mozart's. Over the next 27 years at the Met, he gave nearly 800 performances and later served for three decades, until his retirement in 2009, as its staff diction coach.

Castel had over 200 operatic roles in his repertoire. His singing career took him around the world to work with such companies as. Teatro Nacional de São Carlos. And in the United States, the.

San Antonio Grand Opera Festival. On the concert stage, he often included Jewish music in his programs, and he served as a cantor at Scarsdale Synagogue in. New York, and Progressive Synagogue in Brooklyn, New York. Commented: Reviewers over the years praised Mr. Castel's rich dramatic characterizations, his sensitive musicianship and, not surprisingly, his impeccable diction. German, French, Spanish, Italian and English with native or near-native fluency. He was an internationally known language and diction coach, writing the book A Singer's Manual of Spanish Lyric Diction and translating an extensive annotated series of. Of French, German and Italian operas that show the pronunciation of every word in the operas' original languages using the. These libretti are used by singers, teachers and conservatories throughout North America and Europe. He was on the faculties of.

Mannes College The New School for Music. And was a lecturer, teacher and. Leader at other universities and conservatories around the world. His language and diction classes are taught at Juilliard.

Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera. The Opera NUOVA Vocal Intensive Program in.

American Institute of Musical Studies. He and his third wife, Carol Cates Castel, a voice teacher and stage director, taught on the faculty of the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium in. They also founded and operated the New York Opera Studio, which trained young singers.

Castel annually presented the Nico Castel International Master Singer Competition, which accepted competitors up to age 40. Among Castel's recordings are. And a live performance from the Metropolitan Opera of. Castel's first wife was Carol Bayard and his second was Nancy Benfield.

Both marriages ended in divorce. He died at the age of 83 in New York City, where he lived with his wife, Carol Cates Castel. He had one child (with his second wife), Sasha Castel, who lives in.