Bruce Abel (25 July 1936 – 10 March 2021) was an American

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

singer.

Biography

Abel studied

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

at the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

under

Hans Heinz Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

, where he excelled in studies of

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

art songs and

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lieder In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French sp ...

. He won a

Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

in 1962 which enabled him to pursue further studies in the lieder and

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

repertoire in Stuttgart, Germany with

Hermann Reutter Hermann Reutter (; 17 June 19001 January 1985) was a German composer and pianist who worked as an academic teacher, university administrator, recitalist, and accompanist. He composed several operas, orchestral works, and chamber music, and especi ...

Lore Fischer Lore Fischer (27 May 1911 – 16 October 1991) was a German alto, a concert singer who recorded Bach cantatas with Fritz Lehmann. References Further reading * Friedrich Herzfeld: ''Das Lexikon der Musik'', Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main – B ...

and

Elinor Junker-Giesen Eleanor is a female given name. Eleanor, Elenore, Elinor, Elinore, Ellinore, Elynor or variations thereof may also refer to: Places * Lake Eleanor, a reservoir in Yosemite National Park, California * Eleanor, Iowa, an unincorporated community * E ...

. He went on to win several international singing competitions: Enrico Caruso Competition New York (1st prize, 1963), Concours International Geneva (1st prize, 1963), Mozart Wettbewerb Vienna (2nd prize, 1963),

ARD International Music Competition The ARD International Music Competition (german: link=no, Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD) is the largest international classical music competition in Germany. It is organised by the Bayerischer Rundfunk and held once a year in Munich. Si ...

(prize for Lied, 1964), International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in

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(1st prize, 1964). He gained international fame during the 1960s and 1970s for his numerous appearances in concerts in Northern America and throughout Europe as well as singing on numerous recordings. He was notably a soloist in the 1971 world premiere of

Fritz Werner Fritz Werner (15 December 1898 – 22 December 1977) was a German choral conductor, church music director, conductor, organist and composer. He founded the Heinrich-Schütz-Chor Heilbronn in 1947 and conducted it until 1973. Career Born in Berli ...

’s ''

Whitsun Oratorio Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the H ...

'' in

Heilbronn, Germany Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

. In 1974 he joined the voice faculty at the

State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest schools of its kind in Germany. History The school was f ...

. Bruce Abel was married to pianist

Waltraud Poser Waltraud is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Waltraud Dietsch (born 1950), retired German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres *Waltraut Haas (born 1927), Austrian stage and film actress and singer *Waltraud Kretzschmar ( ...

and together they have a son Thomas Abel, percussionist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abel, Bruce 1936 births 2021 deaths Juilliard School alumni American basses Academic staff of the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart Fulbright alumni