An American artist, William Stone has performed at major opera houses and concert halls throughout the world. His long association with the Lyric Opera of Chicago began with his creation of the role of Adam in the world premiere of Penderecki's Paradise Lost and continued with the title role in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and as Schaunard in La Bohème. This season he returns to the company as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. Having joined the Metropolitan Opera roster for the title role in Wozzeck, Stone returns to the Met this season for his stage debut as Capulet in Roméo et Juliette. He also portrays Falke in Die Fledermauss and Der Mann in Moses und Aaron.
Notable appearances at the New York City Opera have included performances as Germont in La Traviata, the Count in a televised performance of Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor as well as the title role in Paul Hindemith's Mathis der Maler, which followed a performance as Doktor Faust.
A distinguished concert artist, William Stone has performed with the major orchestras of North America and Europe in repertoire ranging from J.S. Bach, L.v. Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and George Frideric Handel to Kirchner, Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelssohn, Orff and Takemitsu. He made his May Festival debut in 1993.
In recent seasons, William Stone has also appeared frequently in recital. Particularly memorable performances include his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in Wolf's Italienische Liederbuch with soprano Benita Valente and pianist David Golub, the opening of the Tisch Center for the Arts' Schubertiade, and his debut with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in a program marking the J. Brahms 100th anniversary. This season he performs works by 20th-century American composers ranging from Sousa and Charles Ives to Bolcom and Musto. He also sings in tribute to Robert Ward in his 80th birthday season - a program performed under the auspices of the Flettcher Foundation in North Carolina that also will be telecast.
William Stone's recordings include music of Mussorgsky, W.A. Mozart, Schubert, William Walton and J.S. Bach, as well as the 1988 Grammy Award-winning Telarc recording of P. Hindemith's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus led by Robert Shaw. He also appears in video performances of Falstaff and Attila.
William Stone resides in his native North Carolina (USA) with his wife, Bonnie. |