Maison, René

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Maison, René

Maison, René, Belgian tenor; b. Frameries, Nov. 24, 1895; d. Mont-Dore, France, July 15, 1962. He was trained at the Brussels Cons, and the Paris Cons. After making his operatic debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème in 1920, he sang in Nice and Monte Carlo. From 1925 he sang in Paris at the Opéra and the Opéra-Comique, establishing a reputation as a Wagnerian. He also appeared at the Chicago Opera (1927–32) and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires (1934–37). On Feb. 3, 1936, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Walther von Stolzing, and remained on its roster until 1943. He later taught voice in N.Y. and Boston. Among his prominent roles were Lohengrin, Loge, Florestan, Samson, Herodes, and Don José.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire