European opera singer stubs

Ragnar_Ulfung

Ragnar Sigurd Ulfung (born 28 February 1927) is a Norwegian operatic tenor. Described in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians as "a brilliant actor with an incisive voice", he was particularly known for his portrayals of Herod (Salome) and Mime (Der Ring des Nibelungen). He is also an opera director. Amongst the productions he has directed was a complete Ring cycle for the Seattle Opera.
Ulfung was born in Oslo and studied there and in Milan before making his debut in Let's Make an Opera (Oslo, 1950). He made a successful debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1958 as Canio in Pagliacci and remained a member of the company until 1984. However, he also made guest appearances abroad. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on 12 December 1972 as Mime in Siegfried and went on to sing 93 performances there between 1972 and 1993. In 1975 he appeared in Ingmar Bergman's celebrated film of Mozart's The Magic Flute in the role of Monostatos. He was appointed Hovsångare in 1976.
In 2015, Ulfung at age 88 sang Altoum in Turandot at Dalhalla with i.a. Nina Stemme and Lars Cleveman.

Jacques_Bouhy

Jacques-Joseph-André Bouhy (18 June 1848 – 29 January 1929) was a Belgian baritone, most famous for being the first to sing the "Toreador Song" in the role of Escamillo in the opera Carmen.
Bouhy was born in Pepinster. After studying at the Liège Conservatory of Music, he made his début at the Paris Opéra as Méphistophélès (Faust) in 1871. He performed at the Opéra-Comique as Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), Escamillo (Carmen) in 1875. At the Comique he also created the role of Don César de Bazan in 1872. In 1882 he appeared at Covent Garden singing in Faust and Carmen. He spent time in the United States as the first director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City before returning to Paris to sing the High Priest in Samson et Dalila (1890). He was extremely popular with audiences, and counted Massenet among his admirers.
Singers taught by him or who received instruction from him include Gervase Elwes, Clara Butt, Louise Kirkby Lunn, Suzanne Adams, Bessie Abott, Leon Rains, Eva Gauthier, Olive Rae, Florence Turner-Maley, Lillian Blauvelt and Louise Homer, as well as Nellie A. Hope and Xhosa/Scottish contralto Jessie M.Soga.He died in Paris in January 1929 aged 80.