{{Short description|American lyric tenor (1949–2022)}} {{Infobox person | name = John Aler | birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|10|04}} | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|12|10|1949|10|04}} | death_place = Silver Spring, Maryland }}
'''John Aler''' (October 4, 1949 – December 10, 2022)<ref>{{cite web | title=John Aler | url=https://www.classicalmusicdaily.com/articles/a/j/john-aler.htm | work=Classical Music Daily | author= | date=2022-12-12 | access-date=2023-02-15}}</ref> was an American lyric tenor who performed in concerts, recitals, and operas. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the works of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and Handel.
==Biography==
===Early life and education=== John Aler was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 4, 1949, where he grew up. He attended Catholic University where he studied voice with [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/rilla-mervine-singer-with-nso/2013/07/19/eac1fe32-df5e-11e2-b94a-452948b95ca8_story.html Rilla Mervine] and Raymond McGuire and graduated with a B.A. in music and an M.M. in Vocal Performance. He went on to attend the Juilliard School in New York from 1972 to 1976 where he studied with Oren Brown. During that time he also attended the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood for several summers where he studied with Marlena Malas.<ref name="John Aler Tenor – Short Biography">{{Cite web|title=John Aler (Tenor) - Short Biography|url=https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Aler-John.htm|access-date=2023-01-21|website=www.bach-cantatas.com}}</ref>
===Career=== In 1977, he made his operatic debut as Ernesto in Donizetti's ''Don Pasquale'' at the Juilliard School's American Opera Center. That same year he won first prizes for men and for the interpretation of French art song at the Concours International de Chant in Paris.<ref>[http://www.milkenarchive.org/artists/artists.taf?artistid=116 Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622045505/http://www.milkenarchive.org/artists/artists.taf?artistid=116 |date=2007-06-22 }} at the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music</ref> He made his Santa Fe Opera debut in 1978 and his European debut as Belmonte in ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in 1979. Aler made his Covent Garden debut in 1986 as Ferrando in ''Così fan tutte'', returning in 1988 as Percy in Donizetti's ''Anna Bolena''. He sang Mergy in a studio production of ''Le Pré aux clercs'' for BBC Radio 3 in 1987.<ref>Jacobs A. On Radio - review. ''Opera'', November 1987, 1338.</ref>
His other appearances included leading roles at the English National Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna Staatsoper, Bavarian State Opera, the Salzburg Festival,<ref>[https://www.mediathek.at/redirect.json?hash=ps0cHx8H&no_cache=1&searchQuery=2330&cHash=e11a79d622af8d8da12c0942eeda9032 Video recordings of productions with John Aler] at the Salzburg Festival in the Online Archive of the Österreichischen Mediathek {{registration required}}. Retrieved 2023-02-22.</ref> Hamburg State Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Teatro Real, Opéra National de Lyon, New York City Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Washington National Opera,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.goldbergweb.com/en/interpreters/vocals/7453.php |title=JOHN ALER, biography, discography<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235518/http://www.goldbergweb.com/en/interpreters/vocals/7453.php |archive-date=2007-09-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bayerische Staatsoper, San Diego Opera and Baltimore Opera.<ref name="John Aler Tenor – Short Biography"/> He was also a regular performer at major American summer festivals including the Ravinia Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, the Chautauqua Festival, the Newport Music Festival and the Grant Park Music Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/opsingers/jaler.html|title=John Aler, tenor<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>
In 2000 and 2001, he portrayed Beadle Bamford opposite George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Timothy Nolen, Davis Gaines and Neil Patrick Harris in a concert tour of ''Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/kqed/demonbarber/play/thebeadle.html PBS Sweeney Todd]</ref>
Aler sang as a soloist with many orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony,<ref>{{cite web | title=Remembering John Aler | url=https://cso.org/experience/article/11832/remembering-john-aler | work=Chicago Symphony Orchestra Experience CSO Blog | author=Frank Villella | date=2022-12-12 | access-date=2023-02-15}}</ref> the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Orchestre National de France, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the London Sinfonietta.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Artist Page - John Aler|url=https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/a.asp?a=A1803|access-date=2023-01-21|website=www.hyperion-records.co.uk}}</ref>
Aler worked as an associate professor of music and the director of Mason Opera with George Mason University.<ref>{{Cite web|title = John Aler – GMU Music|url = http://music.gmu.edu/staff/john-aler/|website = music.gmu.edu|access-date = 2016-02-16}}</ref>
==Awards== * 1986 Grammy Award, Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for "Berlioz: Requiem" * 1986 Grammy Award, Best Classical Album for "Berlioz: Requiem" * 1994 Grammy Award, Best Opera Recording for "Handel: Semele" * 1994 Grammy Award, Best Classical Album for "Bartók: The Wooden Prince & Cantata Profana"
==References== <references/>
==External links== *[http://www.bruceduffie.com/aler.html Interview with John Aler] by Bruce Duffie, January 13, 1992 * {{discogs artist|John Aler}} * {{imdb name|1078410}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aler, John}} Category:1949 births Category:2022 deaths Category:American operatic tenors Category:Singers from Baltimore Category:Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Juilliard School faculty Category:20th-century American male opera singers Category:21st-century American male opera singers Category:George Mason University faculty