Opera Scotland

Clifford Grant Suggest updates

Clifford Scantlebury Grant.

Born Sydney, 11 September 1930.

Died Sydney, 7 October 2021.

Australian bass.

Clifford Grant trained in Sydney and in 1965 joined the Sutherland-Willimson company touring Australia.  In addition to Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge, young colleagues on the tour included Luciano Pavarotti and Alberto Remedios.

He spent the next ten years based in London.  In 1966 he joined Sadler's Wells Opera, singing in London and on tour.  He remained with the company as his base following the move to the London Coliseum and the name change to English National Opera.  His wide repertoire included Monteverdi (Seneca), Mozart (Commendatore), Wagner (Pogner, Fafner, Hunding, Hagen), Verdi (Philip),  Britten (Raleigh Gloriana).

With Scottish Opera he sang Sarastro and Raimondo.  At Glyndebourne roles included Neptune Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria.  At Covent Garden he sang Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro.

Appearances in the USA included San Francisco (Oroveso, King of Egypt, Trulove) and the Met (Phorcas Massenet's Esclarmonde).

From 1976 he was based in Sydney as a principal with the Australian Opera.

Recordings include Coronation of Poppea, Rhinegold, Valkyrie, Siegfried (all live SWO/ENO in English), Don Giovanni and Esclarmonde.