Artist Profiles

Thomas Hampson, Baritone

To tell stories of the human existence, to bring them to life, to move and touch us, this is what matters most to Thomas Hampson when he appears on stage, and his performances at the world s major concert and opera stages are hailed by audiences and critics alike. Brought up in Spokane, Washington, Thomas Hampson studied with Sr. Marietta Coyle, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Martial Singher and Horst Günther. He is renowned for his versatility, performing in opera, operetta, musical, oratorio and recital, as well as his achievements in the fields of recording, research and pedagogy.

Thomas Hampson has sung the title roles in Rossini's Guillaume Tell, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Massenet's Werther in the composer's original baritone version, Busoni's Doktor Faustus, Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet, Verdi's Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra, Mozart's Don Giovanni, as well as the world premiere of Cerha's Der Riese vom Steinfeld. Other roles include Germont in Verdi's La Traviata, Wolfram in Wagner's Tannhäuser, the Marquis de Posa in Verdi's Don Carlos, Orest in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride, Amfortas in Wagner's Parsifal, Mandryka in Strauss's Arabella, and recently Renato in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera at London's Covent Garden.

Thomas Hampson is a passionate singer of German Lieder from Franz Schubert, Gustav Mahler, and Hugo Wolf to the songs of American poets and composers such as Walt Whitman and Aaron Copland.  His dedication to American song and its history has resulted in several recital tours, recordings, multimedia projects and television programs. His passion for Song as the diary of every culture with enormous importance for the genuine understanding of each other, lead him to found the HAMPSONG-Foundation. Its Internet platform, www.hampsong.com/foundation, networks and documents all the Foundation's activities and makes them accessible to the public.

Thomas Hampson holds honorary doctorates from the Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington, and the San Francisco Conservatory, and has recently become a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is an honorary member of London's Royal Academy of Music and holds the titles of Kammerssänger of the Vienna State Opera as well as Chevalier de l'Ordre des AZrts et des Letters by the Republic of France. He was awarded the Austrian Medal of Honor in Arts and Sciences in 2004 and in 2005 he has received the Netherlands  Edison Award for Life Achievement. Most of his recordings have received awards, including multiple Grammy nominations and the Grammy for Best Opera Recording 2002, Netherlands's Edison Prizes, Grand Prix du Disques, Gramophone Awards, Echo Deutscher Schallplattenpreis awards, and several others.

Mr. Hampson has completed a tour of the U.S. performing American songs, under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian Institution. He has also, in collaboration with the International Gustav Mahler Society, Vienna, edited the Critical Edition of the original voice/piano scopes of Mahler's songs.

In addition to his long-time collaboration with EMI Thomas Hampson has recorded for all the major labels. More detailed information and a full discography of Thomas Hampson are available.