# Walter Fredericks

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{{Short description|American opera singer (1916–2000)}}

right|thumb|Walter Fredericks in 1958
'''Walter Fredericks''' (April 16, 1916 – July 24, 2000) was an [American](/source/Americans) [opera](/source/opera)tic [tenor](/source/tenor) and concert singer active from the late 1940s until at least the 1980s.<ref name=Ocean1>''The Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger'', Thursday, November 13, 1980, sec. 1, p. 8</ref>

==Biography==
A native of [Camden, New Jersey](/source/Camden%2C_New_Jersey), Fredericks worked as a machinist before friends encouraged him to audition for the [Academy of Vocal Arts](/source/Academy_of_Vocal_Arts) in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), where he won a scholarship.<ref name=Titusville>''Titusville Herald'', Wednesday, April 16, 1963, p. 3</ref> While traveling with the [Ice Follies](/source/Ice_Follies), he started his operatic career in 1947, performing with the [San Francisco Opera](/source/San_Francisco_Opera). Soon maestro [Gaetano Merola](/source/Gaetano_Merola) of the SFO convinced patrons to award the singer with a year of additional study in [Italy](/source/Italy).<ref name=Titusville/> Upon his return to the United States, Fredericks appeared with many of the country's foremost opera companies including those in Philadelphia, [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles), [Pittsburgh](/source/Pittsburgh), [New Orleans](/source/New_Orleans), and [New York](/source/New_York_City).<ref>''The Michigan Daily'', Wednesday, December 2, 1953, p. 2</ref> He had also been a guest soloist of many of symphony orchestras throughout the U.S. and made radio, television, and motion picture appearances.<ref name=Titusville/> Fredericks also performed throughout [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), in [Chicago](/source/Chicago),<ref>{{cite web|title=The Life and Times of Gloria Lane, Part III|url=http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=OPERA-L;BrCsnQ;20010823211118-0400D}}</ref> [Minneapolis](/source/Minneapolis)
,<ref name=Ocean2>''The Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger'', Thursday, May 6, 1971, sec. 2, p. 6</ref> [Detroit](/source/Detroit) and [Dearborn](/source/Dearborn%2C_Michigan), [Kansas City](/source/Kansas_City%2C_Missouri), [Tucson](/source/Tucson%2C_Arizona), and many cities in [California](/source/California),<ref name=Ocean3>''The Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger'', Friday, June 24, 1977, sec. 2, p. 6</ref> and toured to [Canada](/source/Canada), [Mexico](/source/Mexico), and [Central](/source/Central_America) and [South America](/source/South_America).<ref name=Ocean2/> During his travels throughout the United States he performed programs of sacred music at many churches and seminaries.<ref name=Ocean3/> Fredericks's operatic repertoire of over 30 roles included Lt. Pinkerton in [Puccini](/source/Giacomo_Puccini)'s ''[Madama Butterfly](/source/Madama_Butterfly)'', Pollione in [Bellini](/source/Vincenzo_Bellini)'s ''[Norma](/source/Norma_(opera))'', Cassio in [Verdi](/source/Giuseppe_Verdi)'s ''[Otello](/source/Otello)'', Canio in [Leoncavallo](/source/Ruggero_Leoncavallo)'s ''[Pagliacci](/source/Pagliacci)'', Ismaele in Verdi's ''[Nabucco](/source/Nabucco)'', Alfredo in Verdi's ''[La traviata](/source/La_traviata)'', Don Jose in [Bizet](/source/Georges_Bizet)'s ''[Carmen](/source/Carmen)'', Manrico in Verdi's ''[Il trovatore](/source/Il_trovatore)'', and Avito in [Montemezzi](/source/Italo_Montemezzi)'s ''[L'amore dei tre re](/source/L'amore_dei_tre_re)''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Opera In Philadelphia: Performance Chronology 1950 - 1974|url=http://frankhamilton.org/ph/ph2.pdf}}</ref> Fredericks started the annual Christmas Carolfest on the Music Pier in [Ocean City, New Jersey](/source/Ocean_City%2C_New_Jersey), in the mid-1970s and directed it for several years until his death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oceancityvacation.com/blog/carolfest-tis-the-season-set-get-first-night-buttons-now/|title=Carolfest, Tis the Season Set, Get First Night Buttons Now!|date=December 18, 2008}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fredericks, Walter}}
Category:20th-century American male opera singers
Category:American operatic tenors
Category:Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area
Category:1916 births
Category:2000 deaths
Category:Singers from California
Category:Classical musicians from California
Category:Musicians from Camden, New Jersey

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walter Fredericks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Fredericks) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Fredericks?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.