Jacques Bouhy

Jacques-Joseph-André Bouhy (June 18 1848 - Paris January 24 1929) a Belgian baritone, most famous for being the first to sing the Toreador Song in the role of Escamillo in "Carmen".

Bouhy was born in Pepinster. After studying at the Liège Conservatory of Music, he made his début at the Paris Opéra as Méphistophélès ("Faust") in 1871. He performed at the Opéra-Comique as Figaro ("Le Nozze di Figaro"), Escamillo ("Carmen") in 1875. At the Comique he also created the role of "Don César de Bazan" in 1872. In 1882 he appeared at Covent Garden singing in "Faust" and "Carmen". He spent time in the United States as the first director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City before returning to Paris to sing the High Priest in Samson et Dalila (1890). He was extremely popular with audiences, and counted Massenet among his admirers.

Singers taught by him or who received instruction from him include Gervase Elwes, Clara Butt, Louise Kirkby Lunn, Bessie Abbot, Suzanne Adams, Leon Rains, Eva Gauthier, Lillian Blauvelt and Louise Homer. [M. Scott, "The Record of Singing" II (Duckworth, London 1979), 131, 172.]

He died at Paris in 1929.

References

*cite book|last=Forbes|first=Elizabeth|chapter=Bouhy, Jacques|title= The New Grove Dictionary of Opera|year=1992|location=London|editor=Stanley Sadie