Ron Bottcher

'''Ron Bottcher''' (born '''John Ronald Bottcher''', 11 May 1940 – 18 April 1991) was an American operatic baritone who was actively performing with both the New York City Opera (NYCO) and the Metropolitan Opera during the 1960s. A native of Sandpoint, Idaho, he was educated at Montana State University and the Curtis Institute of Music. He developed vocal problems which led to the cancelling of performances in 1969. He rarely performed after this.

==Early life and education== The son of John and Lucille Bottcher, John Ronald Bottcher was born on 11 May 1940 in Sandpoint, Idaho.<ref>John Ronald Bottcher in the ''U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007''</ref> After graduating from Sandpoint Senior High School in 1958,<ref>{{cite news|title=Many Scholastic Awards Made at Annual Class Day Exercises|work=Sandpoint News-Bulletin|date= May 29, 1958|page= 10}}</ref> he studied music at Montana State University (MSU) where he portrayed Count Almaviva in MSU's 1958 production of ''The Marriage of Figaro''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bottcher Chosen For Leading Roll|work=Sandpoint News-Bulletin|date= November 13, 1958|page= 9}}</ref> He studied voice at MSU with John Lester.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bottcher Recital Tonight|work=The Daily Missoulian|date= May 24, 1961|page= 9}}</ref> In his sophomore year at MSU, at just 19 years old, he won first place in the regional division of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions held in Seattle.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bottcher Wins Met Competition|work=Sandpoint News-Bulletin|date= January 14, 1960|page= 1}}</ref>

After completing his second year at MSU in the Spring of 1960, Bottcher transferred to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Best Wishes For Your Success Ron|work=Sandpoint News-Bulletin|date= September 1, 1960|page= 2}}</ref> There he studied singing with Euphemia Gregory (sister of composer Vittorio Giannini).<ref name="debut">{{cite news|title=From Montana to the Met|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date= March 10, 1968|page=12, section Weekend}}</ref> He never graduated from either MSU or Curtis; dropping out from the latter school after a year of study to join the Santa Fe Opera (SFO).<ref>{{cite news|title=Idaho Opera Star Signed By Met's Tour Company|work=The Spokesman-Review|date= March 27, 1965|page= 5}}</ref> In 1962 he married Priscilla Lester,<ref>{{cite news|title=Dinner Precedes Marriage Rights|work=The Missoulian|date=Jun 17, 1962|page= 24}}</ref> the daughter of his voice teacher at MSU.<ref name="debut"/> ==Career== Botcher made his professional opera debut in the summer of 1961 at the SFO;<ref>{{cite news|title=Civic Symphony and Chorale|work=The Missoulian|date= January 17, 1965|page= 33}}</ref> as Schaunard in Giacomo Puccini's ''La bohème''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Some Oper Ducats Left|work=The Santa Fe New Mexican|date= August 21, 1961|page= 2}}</ref> He was also heard at the SFO that season as Leopold in Richard Strauss' ''Der Rosenkavalier'' and the Head waiter in Paul Hindemith's ''Neues vom Tage''.<ref name="SFO">{{cite news|url=https://www.santafeopera.org/bio/ron-bottcher/|title=Ron Bottcher|publisher=Santa Fe Opera|work=Santa Fe Opera Archive|access-date=May 8, 2026}}</ref> In 1962 he portrayed Ford in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' with the Fine Arts Opera Company at Notre Dame College on Staten Island.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comic Opera Performed With Notre Dame|work=Staten Island Advance|date=February 15, 1962|page= 24}}</ref> He returned to SFO in the summer of 1962 as Giorgio Germont in Giuseppe Verdi's ''La traviata'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Will Repeat ''La traviata''|work=The Albuquerque Tribune|date= August 22, 1962|page= 24}}</ref> and the Second Japanese Envoy in ''The Nightingale''.<ref name="SFO"/> In October 1963 he performed for President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and their guests at a state dinner given in honor of Emperor Haile Selassie at the White House.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jazz Show for Selassie Struck Discordant Note|work=St. Louis Globe-Democrat|date= October 12, 1963|page= 45}}</ref>

In 1962 Botcher joined the New York City Opera (NYCO) with whom he toured that year as Count Monterone in Verdi's ''Rigoletto'' with Chester Ludgin in the title role.<ref>{{cite news|title=''Rigoletto'' Thrills Large Audience at MSU|work=Lansing State Journal|date= November 20, 1962|page= 19}}</ref> He subsequently performed with NYCO in ''Oedipus rex'' (1963),<ref>{{cite news|title=Last of Opera|work=New York Amsterdam News|date= May 4, 1963|page= 7}}</ref> Sharpless in Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly'' (1963<ref>{{cite news|title=City Centre's ''Butterfly'' Has Skill, Verve, Pathos|work=The Post-Standard|date= November 15, 1963|page= 8}}</ref> 1964),<ref>{{cite news|title=On the Aisle|work=Chicago Tribune|date= December 28, 1964|page= 57}}</ref> Marcello in Giacomo Puccini's ''La bohème'' (1963),<ref>{{cite news|title=La Boheme|work=The Troy Record|date= October 29, 1963 |page= 18}}</ref> and Escamillo in Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' (1965).<ref>{{cite news|title=A Grand Season for Opera|work=The Times-Union|date= October 27, 1965|page= 44}}</ref> In the summer of 1963 he performed the role of Count Almaviva in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' with the Chautauqua Opera.<ref>{{cite news|title=Noted Vocalist is Sandpoint Visitor|work=Sandpoint News-Bulletin|date= August 15, 1963|page= 1}}</ref> In 1964 he performed the role of Lorenzo in Vincenzo Bellini's ''I Capuleti e i Montecchi'' with the American Opera Society at Carnegie Hall with Mary Costa as Giulietta.<ref>{{cite news|title=Simionato, Costa Sing Bellini ''Romeo & Juliet''|work=New York Daily News|date= April 30, 1964|page=77}}</ref> He sang Sharpless for his debut with the San Francisco Opera in 1965.<ref>{{cite news|title=Spring Opera Singer|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date= June 1, 1965|page= 45}}</ref>

For the 1965-1966 season Botcher toured the United States and Canada in performances with the Metropolitan Opera National Company (MONC); the young artist touring arm of the Metropolitan Opera (the "Met").<ref>{{cite news|title=Bottcher to Sing Here Sunday|work=The Missoulian|date= August 1, 1968|page= 7}}</ref> With the MONC he appeared as Sharpless with Francesca Roberto as Butterfly, Marilyn Zschau as Suzuki, and Enrico Di Giuseppe as Pinkerton.<ref>{{cite news|title=Met Announces Cast For Clowes Premiere|work=The Indianapolis Star|date= Sep 12, 1965|page= 13}}</ref> From the MONC he graduated to the Met, making his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in a Lewisohn Stadium concert on July 29, 1966 as Amonasro in ''Aida'' with Lucine Amara in the title role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lewisohn Bow|work=New York Daily News|date= July 29, 1966|page= 50}}</ref>

Botcher sang at the Met for two years; performing the roles of Silvio in ''Pagliacci'' (1966, with Plácido Domingo as Canio),<ref>{{cite news|title=Pair of Hardy Perennials Are Blooming Good Show|work=Newsday|date=August 10, 1966|page= 57}}</ref> Baron Douphol in ''La traviata'' (1966-1967, with Anna Moffo as Violetta),<ref>{{cite news|title=Anna Moffo Is Star In ''La traviata''|work=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=September 25, 1966|page= 21}}</ref> Melot in ''Tristan und Isolde'' (1966-1967, with Ticho Parly as Tristan and Birgit Nilsson as Isolde),<ref>{{cite news|title=''Tristan und Isolde'' Revived By the Met |newspaper=New York Daily News|date= November 21, 1966|page= C24}}</ref> a nobleman and the King's Herald in ''Lohengrin'' (1966-1968, with Sándor Kónya in the title role),<ref>{{cite news|title=Met Opera to Present ''Lohengrin''|work=Press of Atlantic City|date=December 23, 1967|page= 12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Met to Offer ''La Boheme''|work=The Record|date= December 13, 1966|page= 49}}</ref> Frank in ''Die Fledermaus'' (1966-1967, with Kitty Carlisle as Prince Orlofsky),<ref>{{cite news|title=Kitty Carlisle Prince Again|work=New York Daily News|date= November 26, 1966|page=25}}</ref> Sharpless in ''Madama Butterfly'' (1967-1968),<ref>{{cite news|title=''Butterfly'' Is Back at Met|work=New York Daily News|date= March 4, 1967|page= 23}}</ref> Peter in ''Hansel and Gretel'' (1967),<ref>{{cite news|title=Met Stages Levy Opera|work=The Record|date= November 3, 1967|page= 76}}</ref> Moralès in ''Carmen'' (1967-1968, with Grace Bumbry in the title role),<ref>{{cite news|title=Bumbry Superb ''Carmen''|work=The Boston Globe|date= April 27, 1968|page= 10}}</ref> and Valentin in ''Faust'' (1968, with Jan Peerce in the title role).<ref>{{cite news|title=Lightning Adds Drama to Met Opera's ''Faust''|work=Staten Island Advance|date= June 20, 1968|page=4}}</ref> He also created roles in the world premieres of two operas at the Met: portraying Scarus in Samuel Barber's ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (1966) with Leontyne Price,<ref>{{cite news|title=This Week at the Met|work=Asbury Park Press|date= September 26, 1966|page= 18}}</ref> and Captain Peter Niles in Marvin David Levy's ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' (1967).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-met-triumphs-with-elec/197165246/|title=Met Triumphs With ''Electra''|first=Thomas|last=Willis|work=Chicago Tribune|date= March 19, 1967|page= 3, section 1A}}</ref>

In 1968 Bother performed Marcello to Joan Sena's Musetta in the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company's production of ''La bohème'' at the Academy of Music,<ref>{{cite news|title=''La Boheme'' Tuesday|work=Press of Atlantic City|date=March 10, 1968|page= 23}}</ref> and portrayed Escamillo in ''Carmen'' with the New Orleans Opera.<ref>{{category|title=On Stage|first=Don|last=Brady|work=Vieux Carré Courier|date= November 22, 1968|page= 5}}</ref> In 1969 he sang Marcello at the Pittsburgh Opera.<ref>{{cite news|title=This Week In Music|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date= January 13, 1969|page= 9}}</ref> Later that year he developed vocal problems which led to a canceling of performance engagements.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mexican Baritone Is a Real ''Don Giovanni''|work=The Plain Dealer|date= March 16, 1969|page= 15}}</ref> His performances were rare after this. In 1978 he performed the role of Escamillo with the Charleston Opera Company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Charleston's Ambitious ''Carmen'' a Partial Success|work=The State|date=February 19, 1978|page= 47}}</ref>

Botcher died on 18 April 1991 at the age of 50 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan of AIDS related illness.<ref>{{cite news |author1= |title=Ron Bottcher, Baritone, 50 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/19/obituaries/ron-bottcher-baritone-50.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=1 April 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=19 April 1991 |page=D 18}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bottcher, Ron}} Category:1940 births Category:1991 deaths Category:AIDS-related deaths in New York (state) Category:Curtis Institute of Music alumni Category:Montana State University alumni Category:People from Sandpoint, Idaho Category:Singers from Idaho Category:American operatic baritones Category:20th-century American male opera singers