Gordon Sandison Suggest updates
Born Aberdeen, 13 August 1949.
Died Peterborough, 3 December 2018.
Scottish baritone.
Gordon Sandison had a long career during which he worked successfully in France, Belgium, Germany, Holland, the USA, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Israel.
He first studied drama at the College of Dramatic Art in Glasgow and received his diploma in Speech and Drama. He then won a Caird Scholarship to study music ai the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. He took part in a master class on BBC 2 with Sir Geraint Evans, and was awarded the first John Noble Bursary which enabled him to study abroad.
His made his debut with Scottish Opera in The Trojans at the 1972 Edinburgh lnternational Festival. His roles during that autumn season included Yamadori and Cascada. Later parts with the company included Marquis d'Obigny, Papageno, Figaro (both Rossini and Mozart), Schaunard, Demetrius, Malatesta, Don Giovanni, Belcore, Harlekin, Frank, Falke, Falstaff, Mr Flint, Don Alfonso and Marcello. He created the role of Dand in Hermiston (Orr 1975 Edinburgh Festival);
He sang Dancaïre in the famous 1977 Festival staging of Carmen with Berganza and Domingo under Abbado. He repeated the part the following year and also appeared in the recording.
Appearances with other British companies include Opera North (Belcore); Kent Opera (Count Almaviva, Macheath, Jim Cocks in Offenbach's Robinson Crusoe); and Glyndebourne (Masetto, Figaro, Dancaïre, Mayor in Jenůfa).
With New Sadler's Wells Opera he appeared as Plunkett in Martha, Corcoran in H M S Pinafore, Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore (recorded), and Auguste Lutte in Bitter Sweet; with Carl Rosa Sir Joseph Porter in H M S Pinafore (recorded). At the Wexford Festival he sang roles in Zaïde, La vedova scaltra (Wolf-Ferrari) and The Rising of the Moon (Maw).
He worked at the Royal Opera House for several seasons, in roles such as Fléville Andrea Chénier, Mandarin Turandot, Sciarrone Tosca, Lavitsky Boris Godunov, Moralès Carmen, Starveling A Midsummer Night's Dream, Montano Otello, Attorney Der Rosenkavalier and Masetto Don Giovanni.
He worked widely as a teacher, with several years at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Roles in Scotland
- First Soldier
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Trojans 1972
- Mercury Mercure
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Trojans 1972
- Trojan Soldier
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Trojans 1972
- Marquis d' Obigny
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Traviata 1973
Traviata 1974
- Prince Yamadori
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Madam Butterfly 1973
- Vicomte Cascada
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Lustige Witwe 1973
Lustige Witwe 1974
- Mitiukha a peasant
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Boris Godunov 1974
- Chernikovsky a Jesuit
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Boris Godunov 1974
- Papageno a bird-catcher
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Zauberflöte 1974
Zauberflöte 1974
Zauberflöte 1976
Zauberflöte 1977
Zauberflöte 1988
- Leopold Baron Ochs' bastard son
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Rosenkavalier 1974
Rosenkavalier 1978
- Schaunard a musician
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Bohème 1974
Bohème 1975
Bohème 1976
Bohème 1979
- Figaro a barber
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Barbiere di Siviglia 1974
Barbiere di Siviglia 1975
- Black Tom Cat
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Enfant et les sortilèges 1975
- Harlequin a comedian
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Ariadne on Naxos 1975
Ariadne on Naxos 1976
Ariadne on Naxos 1977
- Dand Christina's brother, a poet
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Hermiston 1975
- Grandfather Clock L'Horloge Comtoise
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Enfant et les sortilèges 1975
- Demetrius in love with Hermia
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Midsummer Night's Dream 1976
Midsummer Night's Dream 1979
Midsummer Night's Dream 1980
- Malatesta Pasquale's doctor and friend
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Don Pasquale 1976
Don Pasquale 1977
- Don Giovanni a young nobleman
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Don Giovanni 1976
- Prince Afron son of Dodon
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Golden Cockerel 1976
- Konrad Nachtigall a tinsmith
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Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1976
Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1977
Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1978
- Figaro the Count's valet
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Nozze di Figaro 1977
- Dancaïre a smuggler
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Carmen 1977
Carmen 1978
- Krušina a peasant
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Bartered Bride 1978
- Marullo a courtier
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Rigoletto 1979
Rigoletto 1980
- Frank prison governor
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Fledermaus 1979
- Captain Corcoran commanding H.M.S. Pinafore
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H M S Pinafore 1987
- Captain Auguste Lutte
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Bitter Sweet 1988
- Falke a notary and friend of Eisenstein
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Fledermaus 1989
Fledermaus 1990
- Sir John Falstaff a knight
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Falstaff 1991
- Mr Flint Sailing Master
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Billy Budd 1992
- Don Alfonso a middle-aged bachelor
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Così fan tutte 1992
- Marcello a painter
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Bohème 1993