Cornelis Opthof

{{infobox musical artist | birth_date = {{birth date|1930|2|10}} | birth_place = [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]] | occupation = Singer | genre = Opera | associated_acts = [[Canadian Opera Company]] | instrument = Vocals | death_date = {{death date and age|2008|12|16|1930|2|10}} | death_place = [[Toronto, Ontario]] }} '''Cornelis Opthof''' (February 10, 1930 – December 16, 2008) was a [[Netherlands|Dutch-born]] [[Canadians|Canadian]] bass-baritone who sang with the [[Canadian Opera Company]] for fifty years, its longest serving member.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324181747/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/cornelis-opthof The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada]</ref><ref name=free>"In memoriam Cornelis Opthof (1930–2008)" ( March 22, 2009) The Free Library</ref>

==Biography== Opthof was born in [[Rotterdam]] in 1930 and immigrated to Canada in 1949 where he studied classical voice with Catharina Hendrikse. In 1957, he was awarded a scholarship at the Royal Conservatory of Music and, in 1959, he made his debut as Alcalde in ''[[La forza del destino]]'' with the [[Canadian Opera Company]] (where he remained a member for fifty years, performing in over 75 productions). He made his [[Metropolitan Opera]] debut in 1976, opposite [[Joan Sutherland]] as Riccardo, in ''[[I Puritani]]'', having previously sung with her on a number of occasions which included being invited to Australia by [[Richard Bonynge]] to tour with his wife.<ref name=free/>

He made some noteworthy recordings of songs by [[Arnold Schoenberg]] with [[Glenn Gould]] as an accompanist. He also made a number of opera recordings with Joan Sutherland.<ref>Cornelis Opthof at allmusic</ref>

Opthof died in Toronto on December 16, 2008, and was survived by his wife Natalia and their three children.<ref name=free/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150927191628/http://blog.scena.org/2009/01/canadian-baritone-cornelis-opthof-1930.html Photograph of Cornelis Opthof]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Opthof, Cornelis}} [[Category:1930 births]] [[Category:2008 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian male opera singers]] [[Category:Dutch emigrants to Canada]] [[Category:Musicians from Rotterdam]]