Robert Lloyd (7 October)
Born in Southend-on-Sea, the distinguished bass Robert Lloyd was educated at Keble College, Oxford, and studied in London with the baritone Otakar Kraus. He made his debut with University College Opera in 1969 as Don Fernando in Leonore, Beethoven’s early version of his opera Fidelio. There followed three years as principal bass with the Sadlers Wells Opera Company (now English National Opera), and from 1972 to 1982 he was a member of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. He was a much-admired singer with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where he appeared almost two hundred times.
His discography is vast, encompassing operas by Beethoven, Bizet, Berlioz, Britten, Puccini, Rossini and Verdi. He has worked with most of the notable conductors of the past fifty years including Claudio Abbado, Sir Adrian Boult (he is a memorable Priest/Angel of the Agony on Boult’s recording of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius), Sir Colin Davis, Bernard Haitink, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Neville Marriner. Nowadays he is a highly respected teacher and familiar face in masterclasses.
