Jon Vickers, who died last year aged 88, was a singer whose powerful musicality and mesmerising stage presence made him one of the outstanding operatic tenors of his generation. His was a rags-to-riches story of a young man from a farming background who was ‘discovered’ while taking part in an amateur production and propelled on to the international stage. We hear from artists who knew the singer and who performed with him, including mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry, soprano Renata Scotto, tenor John Dobson, conductor Sir Colin Davis, and musicologist David Cairns. We also hear extracts from two of the very rare interviews that Jon Vickers gave during his career.
A Jon Tolansky production for RTÉ lyric fm.
RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 5th February, 7pm-8pm