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June Anderson became one of the leading coloratura soprano singers in the 1980s, hailed as a successor to Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills. (When she met Sutherland, the Australian diva pointed out the similar width of their jaws and quipped, "I'm told the E flats are in that jaw!")

Anderson began taking singing lessons when she was eleven. She entered the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions at the age of seventeen and became the youngest person ever to be a finalist in that competition.

She took a standard university education, majoring in French at Yale, where she graduated with honors. Then she went to New York, determined that ". . . if in two years' time I was not famous I would go to law school." She says she ran out of money in nine months and at that point got stubborn about it. "I decided I would be a singer if it killed me."

She studied singing privately with Robert Leonard. She made her stage debut as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Magic Flute. (She has been associated with the role ever since; it is her voice that sings the arias for that character in Milos Forman's film Amadeus.)

In 1981, she was a Richard Tucker Career Grant winner, then was invited to sing Rossini's Semiramide at the Rome Opera in 1982. Her seemingly effortless vocal production, exceptional agility, and ringing clear tone, plus a commanding and natural-looking stage presence made the appearance a success, leading to engagements in virtually every major opera house of Europe and the United States. Anderson is also the first non-Italian to win the annual Bellini d'Oro vocal prize.

She became known not only for her portrayals of standard coloratura parts -- in operas such as Rigoletto, I Lombardi, La donna del lago, I Capuleti ed i Montecchi, and La Sonnambula. Her acclaimed roles include Rosalinde in Johann Strauss' Die Fledermaus; Desdemona in Otello; and Gilda in Rigoletto (her Metropolitan Opera debut role, singing opposite Pavarotti). She became known for her willingness to undertake unusual roles for recordings, such as Dafne in Il Nascimento dell'aurora by Albinoni (Erato, 1983); Madeleine in Le Postillon de Longjumeau by Adam (EMI, 1985); and Eudoxie in La Juive by Halévy (1986, 1989 Philips). She was chosen by Leonard Bernstein to record the role of Cunegonde in his definitive edition of Candide.

June Anderson has appeared on national television in Metropolitan Opera opening galas, on an Arts and Entertainment Leonard Bernstein birthday concert, in the Bernstein Tribute by John Williams and the Boston Pops, and in a Metropolitan Opera broadcast of Semiramide. In the docu-drama The Queen of Song, she portrayed the legendary nineteenth-century singer Adelina Patti.

Laurence Dale (born 1957) is an outstanding English tenor who studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He sings opera but also excels as soloist in Oratorios and other large choral works. His Harmonia Mundi CD Airs d'Operas Françiase is something special.

Peruvian tenor Ernesto Palacio retired from the stage as one of the most celebrated South American opera stars of his time. He was best known for his portrayals in Rossini, Donizetti, and Mozart operas. He sang at the leading operatic venues across the globe, including La Scala, Covent Garden, the Met, and the major opera houses in Dallas, Houston, Buenos Aires, and Caracas. He made numerous recordings for such labels as Erato and Sony, amassing a substantial discography of Rossini operas, which included acclaimed portrayals of Lindoro (L'italiana in Algeri), Narciso (Il turco in Italia), and Argirio (Tancredi). Palacio also appeared in lesser known operas such as Soler's Il tutore burlato, where he sang Don Lelio. In addition, Palacio gave recitals, showing a particular fondness for the songs of Manuel García. His attractive voice is often classed as a tenore di grazia, which is lighter in tone but quite flexible in technique. While Palacio retired from opera and song in 1998, he has not withdrawn from the music world altogether: he has since operated an artist management agency, guiding the careers of such successful singers as Juan Diego Flórez and Elina Garanca.

Ernesto Palacio was born in Lima, Peru, on October 19, 1946. Though he showed musical talent in his youth, he initially studied theology. After deciding on a career in music he traveled to Italy and began studies in Milan. In 1972 he won the Voci Nuovi Rossiniane, held by Radiotelevisione Italiana.

Shortly thereafter he made his debut in a radio-broadcast performance of L'italiana in Algeri, singing what would become a signature role, Lindoro. For the next decade he made appearances at La Scala, San Carlo (Naples), the Teatro Comunale (Treviso), and other major Italian opera houses. He also appeared at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Covent Garden. In 1980 Palacio, singing Lindoro, appeared with Marilyn Horne, Kathleen Battle, and Samuel Ramey in an acclaimed Erato recording of L'italiana in Algeri. More fortune in that role would follow: Palacio debuted as Lindoro to critical acclaim at the Met in December 1985. Palacio continued with great success for over a decade more, but retired at the relatively early age of 52. While he has remained busy with his artist management agency, many of his recordings have reappeared in the new century, including the 2007 DVD of Rossini's La scala di seta, wherein Palacio sings Dorvil.

Basses are not typically the superstars of the operatic world, but Samuel Ramey is an exception to that rule. Though his voice does not have the sonority of a Nicolai Ghiaurov or a Boris Christoff, his instrument is remarkable for its easy flexibility -- dealing effortlessly with long runs, ornaments, and leaps -- and its brilliant intensity. His stage presence (particularly when portraying "devil" figures) is vivid and lively, aided by an attractive physique and a dancer-like grace. He and the various stage directors have tended to emphasize these aspects, giving rise to the comment that "Ramey's Mefistofele has everything one could desire, except possibly a shirt."

While he was attending Kansas State University, Ramey's interest in operatic music was awakened when a friend suggested that he audition for a summer program at Colorado's Central City Opera. He was accepted and got to sing in the chorus for two productions. Soon after, he began to study avidly, first at Wichita State University and later in New York with Armen Boyajian; he made his professional debut in 1973 as Zuniga in Bizet's Carmen at the New York City Opera. His Glyndebourne debut was in 1976 as Figaro in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.

A 1980 performance of Rossini's Semiramide at Aix-en-Provence, opposite Monserrat Caballé and Marilyn Horne, made him an overnight sensation. For critics and audience alike, this new bass with the ideal power and agility was a welcome surprise. His La Scala debut came the next year as Mozart's Figaro, followed by his Covent Garden debut in 1982, in the same role. In 1984, he made his Metropolitan debut as Argante in Rinaldo. He has been a regular at the Pesaro Rossini Festival. Many Rossini bass roles had become "character parts" over the years -- performed more in parlando than actually sung (partly for comedy, partly because of the extreme difficulty of the roles) -- and Ramey determined to sing these as written. His instinctive gift for comedy without clownishness has served him well in these parts, as well as in his various diabolical roles, most of which contain a good deal of sardonic humor. He performs arias from his darker roles in his "Date with the Devil" concerts.

Later in his career, as his voice became darker and weightier, Ramey slowly began to drop the florid Rossini and Handel roles in favor of the heavier Verdi roles, such as King Philip in Don Carlo, Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, and even Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. He has also performed twentieth century repertoire widely, especially noted for his Reverend Olin Blitch in Floyd's Susannah and Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.

Ramey is the most recorded bass in history, with dozens of recordings to his credit. These range from nearly all of his operatic roles to solo recordings of arias and song, and even some musical theater. He has appeared on the TV series Live from Lincoln Center and in TV and video recordings of many of his roles.

The Ambrosian Opera Chorus is the soubriquet under which the Ambrosian Singers, founded in 1956, have made innumerable recordings of operas and American musicals. The group's precursor was established by musicologist/author Denis Stevens and tenor John McCarthy for the performance of stylistically correct examples of early music. As Stevens had become a part of the BBC's music department in 1949, he was assigned oversight for the company's series, The History of Western Music, the chorus' first major project. After Stevens' departure for the United States in 1955, the chorus reconstituted itself as the Ambrosian Consort and later, the Ambrosian Singers. As a center of classical recording activity since the 1920s, London grew steadily as a sight for recorded opera, and the choral singers available to the Ambrosians expanded into the hundreds. Thus, a producer for any of the major record labels could count on having a chorus of any size necessary, one composed of professional singers who sight-read accurately and who could learn music quickly. In fact, the chorus appeared under a variety of names, including the John McCarthy Singers and, during McCarthy's tenure as choral director of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1961 to 1966, the London Symphony Orchestra Chorus. In its opera guise, the Ambrosians have recorded for EMI, London/Decca, Philips, RCA, and Sony, among others. For EMI, notable projects have included Boito's Mefistofele, Delius' A Village Romeo & Juliet, Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea, Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet, and Verdi's Don Carlo, Macbeth, and La forza del destino. For London/Decca, several of Joan Sutherland's most celebrated recordings featured the Ambrosian Opera Chorus, notably Semiramide, Les Huguenots, and Rigoletto. Philips engaged the chorus for its Il barbière di Siviglia with Thomas Allan and I Masnadieri and Il Corsaro with Montserrat Caballé. For RCA, Leontyne Price's second Il Trovatore employed the chorus as did a recording of Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre re with Anna Moffo and Cesare Siepi. Among Sony projects were Thomas' Mignon with Marilyn Horne and Charpentier's Louis featuring Ileana Cotrubas in the title role. Opera recitals by such singers as Leontyne Price, Alfredo Kraus, Caballé, and Jessye Norman have also included the Ambrosians. In addition to opera, the Ambrosian Opera Chorus has recorded such musicals as Showboat, Babes in Toyland, Kismet, and The Student Prince.

London's Philharmonia Orchestra is generally considered one of Britain's top symphonic ensembles and has sometimes been named as the very best. Formed by recording executive Walter Legge at the end of World War II, the orchestra benefited from the presence of several top Continental conductors in its first years and has generated an impressive recording catalog from the very beginning. Although London already boasted the world-class London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestras, Legge resolved to create an ensemble that would equal the best in the German-speaking musical sphere. To this end, he recruited top young musicians (some 60 percent of the players were still serving in the British armed forces at the beginning) and, after he was turned down by friend Thomas Beecham, a roster of star German conductors. These included Wilhelm Furtwängler, Richard Strauss, Herbert von Karajan, and Otto Klemperer. At first, Legge avoided the appointment of a permanent conductor, and the players learned to produce superb results under several different kinds of artistic leadership.

Primarily a recording ensemble at first, the Philharmonia began giving concerts that were often innovative in content. The young Leonard Bernstein recorded Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with the group, and the orchestra gave the world premiere of Strauss' Four Last Songs with soloist Kirsten Flagstad in 1950 at the Royal Albert Hall. In the mid-'50s, Furtwängler died and Karajan departed for Berlin; Legge appointed the 74-year-old Klemperer conductor for life. Klemperer's performances were often idiosyncratic but just as often brilliant, and many of his recordings with the Philharmonia remain in print. A complete cycle of Brahms symphonies under Klemperer was reissued by the firm Broken Audio in the 2010s.

The orchestra ran into trouble in the early 1960s as financial problems arose and several of its best musicians, including hornist Dennis Brain, met untimely deaths. Legge attempted to disband the group in 1964, but the players, encouraged by Klemperer, formed the New Philharmonia Orchestra and continued to perform. The orchestra performed at the Beethoven bicentennial in Bonn, West Germany, in 1970. That year, Lorin Maazel was appointed associate principal conductor to reduce the workload of the aging Klemperer, but he clashed with the orchestra members, who had maintained a self-governing structure. Instead, Riccardo Muti was appointed chief conductor in 1973. Four years later, the original name was restored.

Under Muti, the orchestra often recorded opera and entered upon what was widely regarded as a second golden age. In 1981, under conductor Kurt Sanderling, the Philharmonia made the first digital recording of Beethoven's complete symphonies. Muti was succeeded in 1984 by Giuseppe Sinopoli, whose performances of key British repertory such as the works of Elgar were criticized, but who extended the orchestra's reach in Italian opera. Christoph von Dohnányi ascended the podium in 1997 and took the orchestra on tours of continental Europe and, in 2002 and 2003, to a residency in New York. Bicontinental Finnish conducting star Esa-Pekka Salonen became chief conductor in 2008 and has continued to maintain the orchestra's high standards; his departure was announced for the year 2021, creating an opening at the very top level of English music-making. The Philharmonia continued to record for EMI after Legge's departure but moved to Deutsche Grammophon under Sinopoli and has since recorded for a large variety of labels. In 2019, the Philharmonia backed innovative Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen on her debut release, with Salonen conducting. ~ James Manheim

Claudio Scimone was one of the international leaders of the chamber music and early music movements. He studied with Dimitri Mitropoulos and Franco Ferrara, and also studied early music and interpretation. In 1959 he formed the chamber orchestra I Solisti Veneti in Padua and remained associated with it for decades. It quickly achieved a reputation for excellence, and in 1975, Scimone took the orchestra for its first appearance at the annual Salzburg Festival in Austria, only to be invited back every year. He also led the orchestra on several world tours, appearing in 60 countries. Although the orchestra specializes in early music, Scimone was also instrumental in commissioning works by Cristobal Halffter, Franco Donatoni, Marius Constant, and Sylvanno Bussotti, among others.

Meanwhile, Scimone carried on an additional career as one of the most respected musicologists researching Italian music from the end of the Renaissance through Rossini. He prepared and edited the first modern editions of Tartini's then practically forgotten violin concertos and sonatas and has prepared editions of many Vivaldi operas. One of his most sensational modern premieres was his recording of Vivaldi's Orlando furioso in 1977, with Marilyn Horne and Victoria de Los Angeles, and his live performance of it in 1979 at the Teatro Filharmonico in Verona. He prepared a critical edition of Rossini's Maometto II and made first recordings or premiere modern performances of several Rossini operas. He was the author of an acclaimed treatise on performing practice, Segno, Significato, Interpretazione. He recorded for the Erato label, among others, and has more than 250 performances recorded under his baton.

In addition to concerts with I Solisti Veneti, he conducted at Covent Garden, the Houston Grand Opera, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Verona Arena. At the last-named of those, in 1996 he performed the long-forgotten opera Les Danaïdes by Antonio Salieri. He also conducted such leading orchestras as the O.R.T.F. Philharmonic; Melbourne, Tokyo, Houston, Montreal, Ottawa, and Dallas symphony orchestras; the Philharmonia of London; Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra; and the Royal Philharmonic of London. He received the Grand Prix du Disque, a Grammy Award, and the Montreux World Disc Prize.