Opera Scotland

Peter Bronder Suggest updates

Born Hertfordshire, 22 October 1953.

English tenor.

Peter Bronder worked as an electrical engineer before training in London with Joy Mammen at the Royal Academy of Music 1979-84. He then spent the year 1984-85 at the National Opera Studio.

His professional debut, in 1985, was with Glyndebourne Touring Opera as Remendado. He returned to that company in 2003 for the title role in Idomeneo, which was seen in Edinburgh. With the Royal Opera he sang from 1986 as Arturo Lucia di Lammermoor, First Prisoner Fidelio, Major-domo Der Rosenkavalier, Youth Die Frau ohne Schatten, Cassio, Pedrillo, Andrès Wozzeck, Sellem The Rake's Progress, First Jew Salome and Trabuco La forza del destino. His first appearance with ENO in 1989 was as Vanya Kátya Kabanová, returning as Andrès, Shepherd Oedipus Rex, Count Almaviva The Barber of Seville, Italian Tenor Der Rosenkavalier, Alfred Die Fledermaus and Jailer Il prigioniero.  His debut at the Glyndebourne Festival was as Mr Upfold Albert Herring in 1991, returning for Tito La clemenza di Tito. With Opera North he sang the Captain Wozzeck, Prunier La rondine and Alessandro Il re pastore.

With Welsh National he was Principal Tenor for several seasons, his repertoire ranging through Gluck (Pylade), Mozart (Ferrando, Tamino), Rossini (Almaviva), Donizetti (Edgardo), Bellini (Elvino, Arturo), Berlioz (Iopas), Verdi (Alfredo, Cassio, Dr Caius), Tchaikovsky (Lensky), Puccini (Rodolfo), Johann Strauss (Alfred Die Fledermaus) and Richard Strauss (Narraboth). His interpretation of Dr Caius was also seen when that famous Falstaff production, directed by Peter Stein, was toured to Milan, New York, Tokyo and the 1993 Edinburgh Festival.

In Scotland he worked with Scottish Opera in 1993 as Rodolfo. He returned to the company as Leicester Maria Stuarda (1994), Dancing Master Ariadne auf Naxos (1998), Loge Das Rheingold (2000, 2003), Italian Tenor Der Rosenkavalier (2002) and Huon Oberon in concert at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival. At the 1996 Festival he also sang Pylade in a performance of Iphigénie en Tauride that accompanied the Pina Bausch dance company's widely-praised interpretation of the work.

He made a number of guest appearances abroad, including Netherlands Opera (Ernesto) and Brussels (Pedrillo). In Spain he worked at Madrid (Valzacchi Der Rosenkavalier, Herod) and Seville (title role Der Zwerg). Appearances in Germany ranged from Frankfurt (Herod, Zwerg), to Munich (Narraboth, Mazal Excursions of Mr Brouček), Stuttgart (Loge) and Berlin (Laca, Zwerg). He sang Erik Flying Dutchman in both Paris and Rouen. At La Scala, Milan he appeared as Valzacchi and Herod. He also sang in the USA: San Francisco (Pedrillo), New York Met (Dr Caius), and Mime in Siegfried with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Sources: the singer's own website, supplemented by Who's Who in British Opera (Nicky Adam 1993) and by programmes.