Bruce Ford (tenor)
Bruce Ford (born August 15, 1956) is an American operatic tenor, particularly associated with Mozart roles and the bel canto repertory. Ford was born in Lubbock, Texas, and studied at Texas Tech University, the University of Texas, and later as a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio in Houston, where he created Philip Glass's "The Madrigal Opera" in 1981. He left for Europe, where he made his official operatic debut in Wuppertal in 1983, as Belmonte and Tamino, then in Mannheim in 1985, as Ferrando and Don Ramiro. In 1985, he also appeareared at the  Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux as Almaviva, and the Aix-en-Provence Festival, as Lindoro. He began specializing in the bel canto repertory notably Rossini, appearing at the Pesaro Festival and the Wexford Festival in roles such as Argirio in "Tancredi", Uberto in "La donna del lago", Rinaldo in "Armida", Agorante in "Ricciardo e Zoraide", Antenore in "Zelmira", Erisso in "Maometto II", Oreste in "Ermione", etc. In 1991, he sang in "Mitridate, re di Ponto" at the Royal Opera House in London. He also appeared at La Monnaie in Brussels, at La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan  Opera in New York, etc. In the 1990s, he began a long collaboration with Opera Rara, appearing in numerous concert performances and recordings of rare operas by Donizetti, Mercadante, Mayr, Meyerbeer, Pacini. In 2007, he performed the title role in "Otello" for the Washington Concert Opera, an opera organization which produces rare operas that might otherwise not be heard. Notable recordings include; "Le domino noir", "Rosmonda d'Inghilterra", "Maria de Rudenz", "Margherita d'Anjou", "Carlo di Borgogna", "Maria, regina d'Inghilterra", "Zoraida di Granata", "Il crociato in Egitto", "Pia de' Tolomei", "Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra", "Otello", etc.