Thomas Hampson | 1981 Winner
Thomas Hampson grew up in Spokane, Washington. He studied with Marietta Coyle,Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Martial Singher, and Horst Günther. In 1980 he took the second prize at the ‘s-Hertogenbosch International Vocal Competition, and in 1981 first place in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. In 1992, Hampson earned a BA degree in Government fromEastern Washington University. He also studied at the Music Academy of the West. Today considered one of America’s leading baritones, Hampson’s operatic repertoire spans a wide range of roles: the title roles in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Rossini’s Guillaume Tell,Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin; Figaro in Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Germont in Verdi’s La traviata and more recently also Amfortas in Wagner’s Parsifaland Scarpia in Tosca.