Székely, Mihály

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Székely, Mihály

Székely, Mihály, noted Hungarian bass; b. Jászberény, May 8, 1901; d. Budapest, March 6, 1963. He studied in Budapest. He made his operatic debut as Weber’s Hermit at the Budapest Municipal Theater in 1923; that same year, he made his first appearance at the Budapest Opera as Ferrando in II Trovatore, remaining on its roster until his death; also made guest appearances throughout Europe. On Jan. 17, 1947, he sang the role of Hunding in Die Walküre at his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y.; continued on the roster until 1948, and then returned for the 1949-50 season. He subsequently sang in Europe, appearing at the Glyndebourne Festival, the Holland Festival, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and other music centers. He was renowned for such roles as Sarastro, Osmin, King Marke, Boris Godunov, Rocco, and Bluebeard.

Bibliography

P. Várnai, S. M. (Budapest, 1967).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire