Maureen Lehane (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: September 18, 1932 - London, England
Died: December 27, 2010 - London (?), England

The English mezzo-soprano, Maureen Lehane, studied at the Guildhall School of Music London and continued her training with Hermann Weissenborn in Berlin and with the English teachers John and Aida Dickens.

Maureen Lehane made her debut in 1967 at the Festival of Glyndebourne in the Baroque opera L'Ormindo by Cavalli and made a great career in England and abroad. In 1966 she married with the composer Peter Wishart (1921-1984), for whose work she had special affinity. She sang numerous opera roles, among them for the Handel Opera Society works like Arianna and Faramondo by George Frideric Handel in England as in the USA. She appeared with great success in concerts at the Carnegie Hall New York, in England, Poland, Sweden and Germany. She sang also at the Festival of Aldeburgh, at the Stravinsky Festival, at the Three Choirs Festival, in Cologne and at the Göttingen Händel Festival. She undertook an Australia tour, a two-month USA tour and a three-month concert tour in the Middle and the Far East. In 1971 she made a guest appearance in the Dutch as on the Belgian television, visited in 1979-1980 in Berlin, Lisbon and Rome, in 1981 in Warsaw. In 1974 she performed at the Sadler's Wells Opera London the title role in Ariodante by G.F. Handel, in 1976 at the Netherlands Opera Amsterdam Dido in Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell. In 1974 she sang in London the title role in the opera Clytemnestra, a work of her husband Peter Wishart, in 1982 in the opera Adriano in Siria by Johann Christoph Bach, in 1984 at Reading University in Peter Wishart’s The Lady of the Inn. In 1986 she launched an annual Festival, dedicated to the memory of her deceased husband Peter Wishart and his work.

Maureen Lehane continued her career, particularly in radio and television broadcasts, and worked also within the music-educational area. Already during 1972-1973 she gave in Holland courses for introduction to the Händel interpretation, and operated in similar form in England.

Recordings: Numerous recordings on various labels, on Decca (Belshazzar by G.F. Handel, Elektra), HMV (Theresien-Messe by J. Haydn), BASF (Bach Cantatas, sacred vocal works of J. Haydn, Mozart, Magnificat by Johann Christian Bach), Westminster (Arsamene in Serse by G.F. Handel), Songs of H. Purcell in arrangements by her husband Peter Wishart.

Portrait [01]

Portrait [05]

Maureen Lehane making her debut in Cavalli's L'Ormindo at Glyndebourne in 1967 (Photo: Guy Gravett) [02]

Maureen Lehane with Valerie Masterson in Tancredi [04]

Maureen Lehane Wishart (left) and Dame Joan Sutherland judging the 2003 Great Elm Vocal Awards (Photo: Sarah Foster) [03]

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001, May 2004, December 2005); Manfred Krugmann (Dates, May 2011; Photos 04-05, July 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Collegium Aureum

Alto

BWV 106

Eric Ericson

Alto

BWV 244

Charles de Wolff

Alto

BWV 244

Links to other Sites

Obituary in The Independent
Obituary in The Telegraph

Obituary in The Guardian
Obituary in Wiltshire Times