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The American baritone, Donald Collup, was a member of the George Bragg’s famous Texas Boys’ Choir from 1965 to 1970. When he joined the choir, at the age of ten, he was assigned a place in the first alto section. Later, becoming a member of the main touring choir of 26 boys, his voice grew in range and confidence and he was moved up to second soprano. After a year of touring, recording and concertizing, his voice bloomed into a full soprano, with a range of about two octaves. Donald's childhood experience of music served as a springboard into a varied musical career as an adult. After his voice changed at the end of his 15th year, he concentrated on his piano studies, attending Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University as a piano major. He later added voice and eventually decided to pursue a career in singing. The piano did, however, remain in the background throughout his musical life as he served as an accompanist to many singers including mezzo-soprano, Katharine Ciesinski and bass, Paul Plishka. After further studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and Yale University, he gave many recitals in the USA and Europe as well as taking prizes in the international singing competitions of Paris, Hertogenbosch and Toulouse.
In addition to concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de la Capitole de Toulouse, Donald Collup also sang roles with the opera companies of Santa Fe, Philadelphia and Baltimore. A life-long dream of singing the role of Pelléas was fulfilled in 1995. |
