Richard Bonynge 95

[sydneyboy]

Yesterday Richard Bonynge turned 95. I attended many performances at the Sydney Opera House conducted by Bonynge. He was often derided I think unfairly. His music making gave great pleasure and he provided wonderful support to his wife. Happy birthday Richard.

[jeezifonly]

He conducted a number of operas in Los Angeles. I was backstage for a couple of them, and I can tell you he was tall, dashing and smelled divine.

Belated Cheers, Sir Ricky 🥂

[sutherland]

We have a lot to be thankful for.  it was Richard Bonynge, who was a pianist by training not a professional voice teacher, who discovered the full potential of his wife's voice.  That says a lot about the profession of voice teachers.

I recently purchased Mr. Bonynge's book on Chalet Monet and it is full of wonderful photos.  I don't believe their son, Adam, has an interest in opera and he'll probably auction off the collection of memorabilia when the time comes.

[marylander1940]

[sutherland]

Do any of you remember the catty article written by conductor Stephan von Cron?  He was hired to be an assistant to Richard Bonynge and wrote about the experience - 

https://web.archive.org/web/20020803041224/http://operastars.com/sutherland.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+ sync]

For me it reads as a disturbing sado-masochistic experience. 

[sutherland]

8 hours ago, sync said:

For me it reads as a disturbing sado-masochistic experience. 

I also suspect it is a reason why Mr. von Cron's career never went very far. 

[+ sync]

4 hours ago, sutherland said:

I also suspect it is a reason why Mr. von Cron's career never went very far. 

Could be, he rendered very negative images of some very esteemed individuals.

[sydneyboy]

On 10/31/2025 at 1:03 PM, sutherland said:

I also suspect it is a reason why Mr. von Cron's career never went very far. 

I googled him. His career didn’t seem to go anywhere.

[+ Italiano]

Through common close friends of Joan Sutherland's former personal secretary (who eventually became Placido Domingo's secretary) I met Bonynge in 1989 at these friends' house in London.

I was 28 and yes, I was definitely very cute. My friends (gay couple) in their late 40s, and Richard (if math is not an opinion) was then 59. At the time I was living in London, and for too long reasons to explain I stayed for 2 months at my friends' house before moving from UK. Bonynge was in London for some recordings and my friends invited him for dinner at their house. Being an opera buff since I was 12 of course to me the idea of meeting him was quite a special occasion! We were 5 people in total included the above mentioned (gay) personal secretary who lived in the contiguous house, it was a very informal pleasant dinner, I even cooked some pasta which Bonynge liked a lot. It was quite evident that during the after dinner at the table he was flirting with me, but as he looked to me like an old man (....) I totally and naively ignored his attentions. The morning after my friends (who of course knew about Richard's bisexuality) laughed with me about the fact that I could have become his protegee if I wanted it

About 8 years later with my boyfriend at the time I visited my friends in London and by car all together we went to Cardiff where Dame Joan (who was of course retired) was one of the judges in the famous Voice Competition. My friends invited her and the two of us to a restaurant for an intimate lunch, it was lovely to meet such an iconic person and chat with her.

And no, she didn't flirt with me.

[sutherland]

On 11/21/2025 at 8:05 AM, Italiano said:

My friends invited her and the two of us to a restaurant for an intimate lunch, it was lovely to meet such an iconic person and chat with her.

I envy your opportunity to have lunch with a legend.  I heard her sing live on 5 occasions in the U.S.  I later wrote a fan letter to her, addressed to her home in Switzerland.  I was overjoyed when she wrote back to me.  I still have the letter