Jon Vickers' sheer physical presence and hugely powerful voice made him a favourite amongst opera music directors looking for an heroic tenor to play leading roles in German and Italian operas.
Vickers was a powerfully-built man, something he attributed to working on his neighbour's farm as a young man. At the age of 24 he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where he studied with George Lambert, the English baritone. He sang professionally in his native Canada until 1957 when he began his international career with an engagement at London's Covent Garden performing Verdi's 'Un Ballo in Maschera'. It was the beginning of a long association between Vickers and the famous London opera venue and he continued to perform there until well into the 1980s.
Vickers made many notable recordings during his career but one of his most highly regarded performances on vinyl is 'Tristan und Isolde', recorded in 1972. During his career he sang at major opera houses around the world appearing in Chicago, San Francisco, Vienna, London and at Milan's famous La Scala before retiring from professional appearances in 1988. Vickers died in 2015 as a result of Alzheimer's disease.
