User:Kwoilem

Jess Walters

A principal baritone of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden from 1947 to 1960.

Born Joshua Wolk to Russian/Latvian parents Lazar and Ida Wolk. Wolk and was to eventually change his family name to his professional stage name: Jess Walters. Opera was instilled into him by his father but had no intention of becoming a professional classical baritone. While growing up in New York City, Walters hoped to become an artist and at the age fifteen, went to Hebrew Technical•Institute to ,study art. of but at the age of fifteen was sent to the Delaware Valley [[Delaware Valley University|University] for three years to study husbandry with the hope of owning a farm and supporting one of his ailing brothers. However the Great Depression made that wish and impossibility so he returned home to Brooklyn and his brother Gersen persuaded him to address his considerable love for singing and opera, which he did.

As first prize for a singing competition he was awarded a period of tuition under the guidance of acclaimed piano accompanist, composer, and vocal coach Frank La Forge. He also went on to study under Mario Pagano and finally under Luigi Guifrida who was his last and most influential vocal coach and with whom he formed a lasting friendship.

By the late 1930s, Walters was singing at hotels, supper clubs, churches, and on the radio. Finally after extensive auditions in 1941 for a production of Macbeth at the New York Opera Company he got his first major role playing the the title role with the New York Opera Company. Jess had not sung a major role professionally before: so the company knew it might be taking a considerable risk using him, but his talent was so outstanding that the conductor Fritz Busch decided to use him.