Peter Hofman dies at 66

German tenor Peter Hofmann, who became famous for his performances of Richard Wagner operas, died Tuesday, 29 November 2010. He died at a hospital in Wunsiedel in Bavaria. The mass-circulation newspaper Bild also reported Hofmann's death after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Hofmann made his name performing at the annual Bayreuth festival celebrating the music of Richard Wagner. He toured stages across the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

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Buddy Morrow

Buddy Morrow (born Muni Zudekoff, aka Moe Zudekoff; February 8, 1919, New Haven, Connecticut – September 27, 2010) was an American trombonist and bandleader. He is known for his mastery of the upper range which is evident in records such as "The Golden Trombone," as well as his ballad playing. Morrow was once a member of The Tonight Show Band. His early 1950s records such as "Rose, Rose, I Love You" and "Night Train" appeared in the US Billboard charts. "Night Train" reached #23 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1953. He was most recently the leader of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, through September 24, 2010. Morrow died in the morning on September 27, 2010.

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Henryk Gorecki has died at the age of 76

Polish composer Henryk Gorecki has died at the age of 76. He was best known for his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, which was composed in 1976 and sold more than a million copies following a 1992 re-release. Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (Polish pronunciation: [ˈxɛnrɨk mʲiˈkɔwaj ɡuˈrɛtski]) (December 6, 1933 – November 12, 2010) was a composer of contemporary classical music. He studied at the State Higher School of Music in Katowice between 1955 and 1960. In 1968, he joined the faculty and rose to provost before resigning in 1979. Górecki became a leading figure of the Polish avant-garde during the post-Stalin cultural thaw.

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Shirley Verrett, died Friday 5 NOV 2010 at 79.

Shirley Verrett, an acclaimed American mezzo-soprano and soprano praised for her blazing intensity during a career that spanned four decades, died  in Ann Arbor, Mich. She was 79.

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Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 – November 5, 2010 was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who successfully transitioned into soprano roles i.e. soprano sfogato. Verrett enjoyed great fame from the late 1960s through the 1990s and was much admired for her radiant voice, beauty, and great versatility. She was particularly well known for her singing in French and Italian opera, particularly works of Verdi and Donizetti. More Wikipedia Bio

Jerry Bock, dies. He was 81.

Bock composed some of the most memorable shows in Broadway history, including the melodies for "Fiorello!" and "Fiddler on the Roof,".

Jerrold Lewis "Jerry" Bock (November 23, 1928 – November 3, 2010[1]) was an American musical theatre composer. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical Fiorello! and the Tony Award for Best Composer and Lyricist for the 1965 musical Fiddler on the Roof with Harnick.

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JOAN SUTHERLAND

Soprano Joan Sutherland, whose purity of tone and brilliant vocal display made her one of the most celebrated opera singers of all time, has died at 83 after a four-decade career that won her praise as the successor to legend Maria Callas. Her family said she died Sunday 10 OCT 2010, at her home near Geneva after a long illness.

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Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution in the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She died in Switzerland on 10 October 2010. One of the most remarkable female opera singers of the 20th century, she was dubbed La Stupenda by a La Fenice audience in 1960 after a performance as Alcina. She possessed a voice of beauty and power, combining extraordinary agility, accurate intonation, "pin point staccatos, a splendid trill and a tremendous upper register, although music critics often complained about the imprecision of her diction. Her friend Luciano Pavarotti once called Sutherland the "Voice of the Century", while Montserrat Caballé described the Australian's voice as being like "heaven". Her highest note was a high F sharp in altissimo....(Wikipedia Bio)

Singer Dolores Wilson has died in New Jersey at age 82

Metropolitan Opera soprano and Broadway singer Dolores Wilson died 28 SEP 2010. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1954 in the title role of "Lucia di Lammermoor," the first of what would be 26 appearances, including seven with its touring company.

NY Times obit

Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010)

Eddie Fisher, whose huge fame as a pop singer was overshadowed by scandals ending his marriages to Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor, has died. He was 82. It was known at an early age that he had talent as a vocalist and he started singing in numerous amateur contests, which he usually won. He made his radio debut on WFIL, a local Philadelphia radio station. He sang and acted on the 15 minute 6PM radio series "The Magic Lady". He later performed on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts", a popular radio show which later moved to TV. By 1946, Fisher was crooning with the bands of Buddy Morrow and Charlie Ventura. He was heard in 1949 by Eddie Cantor at Grossinger's Resort in the Borscht Belt. After performing on Cantor's radio show he was an instant hit and gained nationwide exposure. He then signed with RCA Victor.


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