Belgian opera legend José van Dam dies aged 85
Belgian opera singer José van Dam has died at the age of 85. The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel announced his passing on Thursday. Baron José van Dam, a renowned bass-baritone, enjoyed an international career and performed at many of the world’s leading opera houses.
"Belgium loses its greatest ambassador of lyric art; the world loses a legend whose genius shaped the operatic history of the 20th and 21st centuries. But above all, the Music Chapel loses a mentor, a father figure and an inexhaustible source of artistic integrity," the Chapel said in a statement.
Born Joseph Van Damme, he studied at the Brussels Conservatory before launching his career in the 1960s, performing in opera houses in Paris, Geneva and Berlin. By 1970, his international breakthrough was complete, with appearances in London, Milan and New York among other cultural capitals.
Van Dam also performed at several key moments in Belgium’s recent history. He sang at the wedding of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, as well as at the funerals of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola. In 1998, he was granted the title of baron in recognition of his distinguished career. The Royal Conservatory of Antwerp named him Maestro Honoris Causa in 2004, and the same year, he received the International Opera Award for lifetime achievement.
From 2004 onwards, van Dam was closely associated with the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. "José van Dam was everywhere where music demanded authenticity," the institution said. "His career, which spanned more than sixty years, reflected a rare alliance between vocal perfection and absolute intellectual fidelity to the score. Whether embodying the monumental Saint François d’Assise or delivering his unforgettable interpretations of Don Quixote, José never sang for applause, but always for the truth of the character."
José van Dam sings at the Grand Place of Brussels during the " Feasts of Music ", Saturday 18 June 2005.
© BELGA PHOTO JACQUES COLLET
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