Canadian opera legend, bass Joseph Rouleau, passed away in Montréal on July 12th, 2019 at the age of 90.
Born in Matane, Québec in 1929, Rouleau studied voice as a teenager before entering the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal; he went on to further vocal study in Milan in 1952. Three years later, Rouleau won a series of engagements with New Orleans Opera, and shortly thereafter, auditioned for the visiting director of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His first ROH season was a rich one, performing Colline in La Bohème, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, the Ghost of Hector in Les Troyens, Ferrando in Il trovatore, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto opposite Joan Sutherland, who became a regular collaborator. He would go on to sing 48 principal roles with…
