{{Short description|Canadian opera singer and broadcaster (born 1956)}} {{for|the politician of the same name|Ben Heppner (politician)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use Canadian English|date=December 2021}} '''Thomas Bernard Heppner''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CC}} (born January 14, 1956) is a Canadian [[tenor]] and broadcaster, now retired from singing, who specialized in [[opera]] and other classical works for voice. He was widely regarded as the foremost [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]] tenor of his era.<ref name=musicweb>[https://musicwebinternational.com/2025/07/ben-heppner-sings-scenes-from-wagners-ring-deutsche-grammophon/ "Review: ''Ben Heppner sings Scenes from Wagner’s Ring'' (Deutsche Grammophon)"] by Kevin Sutton 17 July 2025, musicwebinternational.com</ref><ref name=Kennedy>[https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/ben-heppner/ "Ben Heppner"], [[Kennedy Center]]</ref><ref name=Salazar>[https://operawire.com/artist-profile-ben-heppner-a-canadian-heldentenor/ "Artist Profile: Ben Heppner, A Canadian Heldentenor"] by David Salazar, ''OperaWire.com''</ref><ref name=Eatock>[https://www.colineatock.com/ben-heppner.html Back from the Nightmare"] by Colin Eatock</ref>
==Early life and career== Heppner, was born in [[Murrayville, Langley|Murrayville]], British Columbia, and lived in [[Dawson Creek]], British Columbia.<ref name=CE>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ben-heppner Heppner] at [[The Canadian Encyclopedia]], accessed September 4, 2019</ref> His family were [[Mennonites]].
Following secondary school in Dawson Creek, Heppner pursued further studies at the [[Canadian Bible College]] in Regina, Saskatchewan (1973–74).<ref>Mennonite Heritage Archives. https://archives.mhsc.ca/index.php/canadian-bible-college-regina-saskatchewan-1</ref><ref>{{YouTube|title=''Scripture Untangled'', season 5, ep. 2 – Ben Heppner – A World-Renowned Tenor Speaks About Faith|id=E6ZPWHbXKRA}}</ref> In later years he would sing solo for the [[Billy Graham Crusade]]s in Toronto and Ottawa.<ref>[https://thealliancecanada.ca/Content/ExternalSite/Documents/on-mission-vol-1_compressed.pdf "On mission. Stories of those who went"], thealliancecanada.ca</ref>
He pursued musical studies at the [[University of British Columbia]] from 1975 to 1979, studying with voice teacher French Tickner. He first attracted national attention when he won the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] Talent Festival in 1979, singing [[Mozart]]'s "Il mio tesoro" from ''[[Don Giovanni]]''.<ref name=CE /> He later studied opera at [[University of Toronto]].
In 1987, under the tutelage of voice teachers William Neill and Dixie Ross Neill, Heppner made a successful transition to the spinto voice category, specializing in the Germanic repertoire.<ref name=CE /> Heppner won the [[Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions|Metropolitan Opera Auditions]] in 1988 which launched his career.<ref name=CE /> He also won the [[Birgit Nilsson Prize]] in 1988.<ref name=Salazar />
==International career== He was associated with the [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]ian repertoire, but he performed a range of operas from the German, French and Italian canons. Heppner performed frequently with opera companies in the United States (including the New York [[Metropolitan Opera]]) and Europe, and concert appearances with [[Orchestra|symphony orchestras]]. Heppner was widely regarded as the foremost Wagner tenor of his era.<ref name=musicweb /><ref name=Kennedy /><ref name=Salazar /><ref name=Eatock />
Heppner achieved renown in 1993 with the role of ''Walther von Stolzing'' in the recording of Wagner's ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' conducted by [[Wolfgang Sawallisch]] with the [[Bavarian State Orchestra]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Richard Wagner – ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' (Wolfgang Sawallisch, 1993)|id=WAMYgqiihd4&list=RDWAMYgqiihd4}}</ref>
In 1994, Heppner performed the role of ''Florestan'' in [[Beethoven]]'s ''[[Fidelio]]'' with [[Günther Herbig]] conducting the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Audio: Beethoven: ''Fidelio'' in concert (Toronto 1994, Eva-Maria Bundschuh, Ben Heppner, Herbig)|id=wS1FqG9B-Zw}}</ref>
Heppner recorded Wagner's ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' in 1995 with [[Georg Solti|Sir Georg Solti]] and the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=''Die Meistersinger'' – Sir Georg Solti (Chicago 1997) – CD|id=auxE5lsBsfk|time=156s}}</ref> He performed Beethoven's ''Fidelio'' at the [[Salzburg Festival]] with Solti conducting the [[Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra]] in 1996,<ref>{{YouTube|title=''Fidelio'' – Cheryl Studer, Ben Heppner, René Pape, Ruth Ziesak, Peter Mattei – Sir Georg Solti|id=blj9ODyKcT4}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|title=(On film) Ben Heppner sings Florestan's "Gott! Welch Dunkel hier!" – ''Fidelio''|id=sMfEWVcO6XI}}</ref> which would be the conductor's final operatic performance, and recorded the work that same year with [[Colin Davis|Sir Colin Davis]] conducting the [[Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Colin Davis Beethoven – ''Fidelio'' BRSO|id=HhCu3h5Uwr8&list=RDHhCu3h5Uwr8&start_radio=1}}</ref>
Heppner has often performed [[Gustav Mahler]]'s ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]]'', including a 1995 performance conducted by [[Bernard Haitink]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde'' – Hampson, Heppner, GMJO, Bernard Haitink (1995)|id=nG_Lvl4hOVQ}}</ref>
He first performed Tristan in Wagner's [[Tristan und Isolde]] with the [[Seattle Opera]] in 1998, and in November 1998 with the [[Berlin Philharmonic]] conducted by [[Claudio Abbado]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Richard Wagner - TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Claudio Abbado, Berlin 1998).|id=W_BxTKGGCDo}}</ref> Heppner also performed and recorded Wagner's ''[[Götterdämmerung]]'' with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by [[Simon Rattle|Sir Simon Rattle]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Wagner: ''Götterdämmerung'' / Heppner, Dalayman, Rattle, Berliner Philharmoniker|id=f8nRfygB6fg}}</ref> He specialized in operatic roles including the title part in ''[[Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin]]'', the title part in ''[[Otello]]'', and [[Hector Berlioz|Berlioz]]'s Aeneas in ''[[Les Troyens]]''.
He has appeared in the [[DVD]] recordings of the Metropolitan Opera productions of Beethoven's ''Fidelio'',<ref>{{YouTube|title=Beethoven – ''Fidelio'' – In des Lebens Frühlingstagen (video)|id=Lnat948Jdc0}}</ref> Wagner's ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'',<ref>{{YouTube|title=Wagner – ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' (English subtitles)|id=C1TSbjY3xIA|time=671s}}</ref> and Wagner's ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'', three of his signature roles.
Heppner performed and recorded two major operas composed by [[Richard Strauss]] with [[Giuseppe Sinopoli]] conducting the [[Staatskapelle Dresden]], ''[[Die Frau ohne Schatten]]''<ref>{{YouTube|title=Strauss, Richard: ''Die Frau ohne Schatten''|playlist=OLAK5uy_k_Omd3ZiGD2quV-0PqbEKMTv2P7Su8bCg}}</ref> and ''[[Ariadne auf Naxos]]''.<ref>{{YouTube|title=Gibt es kein hinüber – Voigt, Heppner, Dessay|id=m5yIeUehCBk}}</ref>
Also with Sir Colin Davis, Heppner recorded the role of Aeneas in Berlioz' ''Les Troyens''.<ref>{{YouTube|title=LSO – ''Les Troyens'' – Berlioz – Sir Colin Davis|id=nf5ctbkigAQ&list=PLxHcQYQobGv92Aw7c2xppPyTGypVzs3qH}}</ref>
Heppner has recorded on multiple labels, participating in complete operas and solo albums of arias and songs. He was signed to an exclusive contract with [[Deutsche Grammophon]] (DG). His first solo recording for DG, made in 2001, was ''Airs Français'' accompanied by [[Myung-whun Chung]] conducting the [[London Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{YouTube|title=Ben Heppner – French Opera Arias|playlist=PLeNveAFTNOmUzCe-roolBXaQunB0HWWwc}}</ref> It won a [[Juno Award]].
==Honours== Heppner has received [[Honorary degree|Honorary Doctorates]] from [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]] (2006),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Degree Recipient - Thomas Bernard Heppner |url=https://db-archives.library.queensu.ca/index.php/honorary-degree-recipient-thomas-bernard-heppner}}</ref> [[McMaster Divinity College]] (2005), [[York University]] (2003),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Degree Recipients |url=https://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/senate/sub-committee-on-honorary-degrees-and-ceremonials/honorary-degree-recipients/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=University Secretariat |language=en-CA}}</ref> [[Memorial University of Newfoundland]] (2003<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yumpu.com |title=Honorary Graduates of Memorial University of ... |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/8026391/honorary-graduates-of-memorial-university-of- |access-date=2024-12-11 |via=[[Yumpu]]}}</ref>), [[University of Toronto]] (2002),<ref>{{Cite web |last=University of Toronto |title=University of Toronto - Honorary Degree Recipients Alphabetical 1850-2024 |url=https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/system/files/2024-09/Honorary%20Degree%20Recipients%201850-2024%20-%20Alphabetical_0.pdf}}</ref> [[McGill University]] (2002),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mcdevitt |first=Neale |date=2015-02-09 |title=Famed tenor Ben Heppner joins Schulich School of Music |url=https://reporter.mcgill.ca/famed-tenor-ben-heppner-joins-schulich-school-of-music/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=McGill Reporter |language=en-CA}}</ref> and [[University of British Columbia]] (1997).
Heppner was awarded the National Arts Centre Award, a companion award of the [[Governor General's Performing Arts Award]]s in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ben Heppner biography|url=http://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/1995/heppner-ben.aspx|publisher=Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation|access-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref> He was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] in 1999, was promoted to Officer in 2002 and Companion in 2008. He performed at closing ceremonies of two Winter Olympic Games. [[2006 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|In Turin in 2006]], he sang the [[O Canada|Canadian national anthem]]. [[2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|Four years later, in Vancouver]], he sang the [[Olympic Hymn]]. Both times, he mixed English and French. In June 2016, Heppner was made a laureate of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards, with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Classical Music.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ben Heppner, 2016 Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award (Classical Music)|url=http://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/2016/heppner,-ben.aspx|website=ggpaa.ca|publisher=Governor General's Performing Arts Awards|access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>
==Retirement== Heppner announced his retirement from singing in April 2014.<ref name=CBCApr14/> Heppner felt unable to be a "part-time singer", feeling that "No matter how often you sing, if you're going to sing at a good level, a quality level, you've got to keep it up all the time. And I was finding that to be a little bit difficult. So that, plus the fact that I've been experiencing a little bit of unreliability in my voice{{snd}}and that causes some anxieties{{snd}}I decided it was time".<ref name=CBCApr14/>
Post-retirement, Heppner accepted a brief role in a musical production of ''[[Titanic (musical)|Titanic]]'' at the [[Princess of Wales Theatre]] in [[Toronto]] in May 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/ben-heppner-to-star-in-titanic-musical-in-toronto/article20980623/|title = Ben Heppner to star in Titanic musical in Toronto}}</ref>
Heppner became a broadcaster on Canadian radio, hosting ''[[Saturday Afternoon at the Opera]]'' and ''[[Backstage with Ben Heppner]]'' on [[CBC Radio]].<ref name=CBCApr14>{{cite news|title=Ben Heppner, star tenor, announces retirement from singing|date=April 24, 2014|work=CBC News|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/ben-heppner-star-tenor-announces-retirement-from-singing-1.2619650|access-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref> He retired from broadcasting in September 2021.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/cbc-music-welcomes-new-opera-and-classical-music-hosts | title=CBC Music Welcomes New Opera And Classical Music Hosts Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Marion Newman and Frédéricka Petit-Homme, As Beloved Host Ben Heppner Announces His Retirement | publisher=CBC Media Centre | date=7 September 2021 | access-date=2021-12-10}}</ref>
[[File:Heather Heights Junior Public School.jpg|thumb|The Ben Heppner Vocal Music Academy at Heather Heights Junior Public School]]
Heppner plans to continue hosting [[master class]]es and coaching singers for roles, and appearing on voice competition juries.<ref name=CBCApr14/> The Ben Heppner Vocal Music Academy, a public school in [[Scarborough, Ontario|Scarborough]], named after Heppner, opened in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last=Heppner|first=Ben|title=Ben Heppner Music Academy|url=http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Findyour/Schools.aspx?schno=4803|website=TDSB.ON.CA|publisher=Toronto District School Board|access-date=November 15, 2016|archive-date=November 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116022002/http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Findyour/Schools.aspx?schno=4803|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Discography==
===Opera=== *1992: [[Carl Maria von Weber|Weber]]: ''[[Oberon (Weber)|Oberon]]'' (Hüon von Bordeaux). [[Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne]], [[James Conlon]]. [[EMI]]. *1993: [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]]: ''[[Turandot]]'' (Calaf). [[Bayerischer Rundfunk|Münchner Rundfunkorchester]], [[Roberto Abbado]]. [[RCA Corporation|RCA]]. *1994: [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]: ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' (Walther von Stolzing). [[Bavarian State Orchestra]], [[Wolfgang Sawallisch]]. EMI. *1995: [[Jules Massenet|Massenet]]: ''[[Hérodiade]]'' (Jean). [[Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse]], [[Michel Plasson]]. EMI. *1995: Wagner: ''[[Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin]]'' (Lohengrin). [[Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra]], [[Sir Colin Davis]]. RCA. *1996: [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]: ''[[Fidelio]]'' (Florestan). Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis. RCA. *1997: Wagner: ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' (Walther von Stolzing). [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]], [[Sir Georg Solti]]. [[Decca Records|Decca]]. *1997: Wagner: ''[[The Flying Dutchman (opera)|The Flying Dutchman]]'' (Erik). [[Metropolitan Opera|Metropolitan Opera Orchestra]], [[James Levine]]. [[Sony]]. *1997: [[Richard Strauss|Strauss]]: ''[[Die Frau ohne Schatten]]'' (the Emperor). [[Staatskapelle Dresden]], [[Giuseppe Sinopoli]]. [[Teldec]]. *1998: Wagner ''[[Lohengrin (opera)|Lohengrin]]'' (Lohengrin) [[Metropolitan Opera|Metropolitan Opera Orchestra]], [[James Levine]] *1998: [[Antonín Dvořák|Dvořák]]: ''[[Rusalka (opera)|Rusalka]]'' (Prince). [[Czech Philharmonic]], [[Charles Mackerras|Sir Charles Mackerras]]. Decca. *2001: [[Hector Berlioz|Berlioz]]: ''[[Les Troyens]]'' (Énée). [[London Symphony Orchestra]], Sir Colin Davis. LSO Live. *2001: [[Richard Strauss|Strauss]]: ''[[Ariadne auf Naxos]]'' (Tenor/Bacchus). [[Staatskapelle Dresden]], [[Giuseppe Sinopoli]]. [[Deutsche Grammophon]].
===Recital=== *1995: ''Ben Heppner Sings Richard Strauss''. [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]], [[Andrew Davis (conductor)]]. [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]. *1995: ''Great Tenor Arias''. [[Bayerischer Rundfunk|Münchner Rundfunkorchester]], [[Roberto Abbado]]. RCA. *1998: ''German Romantic Opera''. [[North German Radio Symphony Orchestra]], [[Donald Runnicles]]. RCA. *1998: ''Dedication''. Craig Rutenberg. RCA. *1999: ''My Secret Heart''. [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]], [[Jonathan Tunick]]. RCA. *2001: ''Airs Français''. [[London Symphony Orchestra]], [[Myung-Whun Chung]]. Deutsche Grammophon *2003: ''Ideale: Songs of [[Paolo Tosti]]''. Members of the [[London Symphony Orchestra]]. Deutsche Grammophon. *2006: ''Heppner/Wagner: Excerpts from [[The Ring of the Nibelung]]''. [[Staatskapelle Dresden]], [[Peter Schneider (conductor)|Peter Schneider]]. Deutsche Grammophon.
===Others=== *1984: [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]]: ''[[Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140]]''. [[CBC Vancouver Orchestra]], Wayne Riddell. CBC. *1994: [[Gustav Mahler|Mahler]]: ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]]''. [[Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra]], [[Gary Bertini]]. EMI *1995: Various: ''Along the Road to Bethlehem''. Members of the [[Toronto Symphony Orchestra]], [[Jean Ashworth Bartle]]. *1996: [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]: [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|Symphony No. 9]]. [[Berlin Philharmonic]], [[Claudio Abbado]]. Sony. *1997: Mahler: [[Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 8]]. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis. RCA. *2000: Mahler: ''Das Lied von der Erde''. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, [[Lorin Maazel]]. RCA. *2001: Mahler: Symphony No. 8. [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]], [[Riccardo Chailly]]. Decca. *2001: [[Harry Somers|Somers]]: ''Songs from the Heart of Somers''. John Hess. Centrediscs. *2004: [[Arnold Schoenberg]]: ''[[Gurre-Lieder]]''. [[Munich Philharmonic]], James Levine. [[Oehms Classics]]. *2004: Wagner: ''[[Siegfried (opera)|Siegfried]]'', 3rd act. Munich Philharmonic, James Levine. Oehms Classics.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://archive.today/20070312182354/http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=4831 Order of Canada citation]
{{Portal bar|Biography|Opera}} {{Authority control|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heppner, Ben}} [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Companions of the Order of Canada]] [[Category:Canadian operatic tenors]] [[Category:Members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance]] [[Category:University of British Columbia alumni]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[Category:Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Vocal or Choral Performance winners]] [[Category:CBC Radio hosts]] [[Category:People from Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)]] [[Category:Canadian Mennonites]] [[Category:Mennonite musicians]] [[Category:Governor General's Award winners]] [[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]