Theo Adam
Theo Adam (1 August 1926 – 10 January 2019) was a German operatic bass-baritone and bass singer who had an international career in opera, concert and recital from 1949. He was a member of the Staatsoper Dresden for his entire career, and sang at the Bayreuth Festival from 1952 to 1980. He particularly excelled in portraying roles by Richard Wagner, especially Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen, which he also performed at the Metropolitan Opera, among others. In concert, he was a much admired Bach singer and also drew acclaim for his interpretation of the title character of Mendelssohn's Elijah. He was a voice teacher at the Musikhochschule Dresden. Career Born in Dresden, Adam sang with the Dresdner Kreuzchor as a boy from 1936 to 1942. He served in the German Army in World War II. He studied singing privately with Rudolf Dietrich between 1946 and 1949. He made his professional debut at the Staatsoper Dresden as Czernikowski in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov in 1949, followed by the Hermit in Weber's Der Freischütz. In 1952, he joined the roster of singers at the Berlin State Opera. He remained a member of the house throughout his career. He appeared at the Bayreuth