DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987 | 1985-11-03 ""Simon Estes likes coming home"" Page 1

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Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987

1985-11-03 ""Simon Estes likes coming home"" Page 1

Nov. 3, 1985
Des Moines Sunday Register
Simon Estes likes coming home
By MARGARET CERVARICH
Although opera star Simon Estes is in great demand by such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, he still makes it a point to perform every year in his home state of Iowa.
"I believe that talent is a gift which is given to us, not something we create for ourselves, and therefore we should share our talent with all people, " said Estes, in a phone interview from his home in Zurich, Switzerland.
"Many times, people in provincial areas are more appreciative of good music than people in bigger cities. In the big cities, they see the major stars all the time, and they're more likely to take it for granted. When I sing in Iowa, I know the people are coming because they really love music."
The Centerville native, who first attracted attention as a member of the University of Iowa's Old Gold Singers, remains a strong Iowa booster and visitor, even though he now has homes in New York and Switzerland. 
The bass-baritone will appear with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 8 and 9 at the Des Moines Civic Center. Estes will sing selections from Tchaikovsky, Copland, Verdi, Mozart, and Hindemith.
Estes said he looked forward to the opportunity to sing in Iowa because "I love Iowa and I'm always excited to come home and sing, whether it's in Des Moines or Iowa City or my home town of Centerville. I sing in Iowa at least once a year."
According to Estes' friend Beaumont Glass, director of Opera Theater at the University of Iowa, Estes' agents "do not make it easy for Simon to do engagements in Iowa. Like any agent, they'd rather he play more prestigious engagements in Europe and major American cities, which is really typical of any agent. Simon has to insist very strongly that they book him into Iowa."
The theme of sharing surfaces often when talking to Estes. Sharing is not just something he talks about, nor does he limit it to singing in the smaller cities. He frequently gives master classes for music students in cities where he performs. Estes also has endowed three scholarship funds to help young people obtain a college education, including one at the University of Iowa which has benefited more than 20 music students in five years.
"I believe very strongly that we are put on this Earth to help other people. Rather than leave money for these programs in my will when I die, I like to spread the wealth around now.
"When I was going to college we were very poor - poor economically but very rich in love and respect. I worked my way through the University of Iowa and I'd just like to make things easier for other young people." 
As a youngster of 8, Estes sang in the choir of the Second Baptist Church in Centerville. He spent seven years at the University of Iowa, singing in the Old Gold Singers and switching his major around - from pre-med to theology to social psychology. In his last year there, he was on his way to medical school - but never got there.
During that last year, Estes attracted the attention of music teacher Charles Kellis, who remains one of the Estes' most influential teachers. It was during his association with Kellis that Estes developed an interest in opera, and Kellis helped to arrange for Estes to attend Juilliard School in New York.
Estes spent one year at Juilliard and then, with a grant from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation and with funds raised for him by the New York Community Trust and the NAACP, he went to Europe. He sang first at the Deutsche Oper in West Berlin. 
Estes became a prizewinner at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966, and since has performed in all the major international opera houses.
A personal and cultural milestone was passed when Estes made his debut at the Beyreuth Festival  in West Germany, the shrine of Richard Wagner. Estes was the first black male ever to appear there. Since then he has sung for five seasons in the title role of "The Flying Dutchman." 
One reason Estes has been so successful at crossing the color bar in opera is his acting ability. "The stylization of opera enables an actor who can project a character in all its facets to be believable, even when he may not fit the character's physical description," said Glass. "Simon not only has a very fine voice, he is an excellent actor." 
Estes himself says that the read to pre-eminence as a singer "has been an uphill struggle. It's much more difficult for a black singer to succeed, and still more difficult for a black man than a black woman. I really am the only black man singing leading roles in the major opera houses of the world, and obviously I'm not the only one with the voice to sing classical and operatic music. 
"Young black men call me wherever I sing all over the world, and talk to me about the problems they are having. I've been talking about the race discrimination question for 21 years, and I hope I won't still be talking about it 21 years from now. I'm tired of talking about it, but really I'm speaking about it not for myself but for those other young men."
Ironically, the only black man singing leading roles in the world's great opera houses has achieved some of his greatest successes in roles that historically have been reserved for blond Nordic types. Wagner (though long dead by Hitler's time) was adopted by Hitler as the more-or-less official composer of the Third Reich, and Wagner himself is thought to have held racist attitudes. 
Asked how he felt when singing roles with such a history, Estes seemed unconcerned, explaining that he thinks of talent as something that comes not from the man [Wagner] but from God. He said, "I just really separate the man from the talent. When I sing Wagner's music, I think of his gift, not of him as a man." 
Adding to the irony of Estes' status as a 

Margaret Cervarich is a freelance writer from West Des Moines. 
SIMON ESTES
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Nov. 3, 1985 Des Moines Sunday Register Simon Estes likes coming home By MARGARET CERVARICH Although opera star Simon Estes is in great demand by such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, he still makes it a point to perform every year in his home state of Iowa. "I believe that talent is a gift which is given to us, not something we create for ourselves, and therefore we should share our talent with all people, " said Estes, in a phone interview from his home in Zurich, Switzerland. "Many times, people in provincial areas are more appreciative of good music than people in bigger cities. In the big cities, they see the major stars all the time, and they're more likely to take it for granted. When I sing in Iowa, I know the people are coming because they really love music." The Centerville native, who first attracted attention as a member of the University of Iowa's Old Gold Singers, remains a strong Iowa booster and visitor, even though he now has homes in New York and Switzerland. The bass-baritone will appear with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 8 and 9 at the Des Moines Civic Center. Estes will sing selections from Tchaikovsky, Copland, Verdi, Mozart, and Hindemith. Estes said he looked forward to the opportunity to sing in Iowa because "I love Iowa and I'm always excited to come home and sing, whether it's in Des Moines or Iowa City or my home town of Centerville. I sing in Iowa at least once a year." According to Estes' friend Beaumont Glass, director of Opera Theater at the University of Iowa, Estes' agents "do not make it easy for Simon to do engagements in Iowa. Like any agent, they'd rather he play more prestigious engagements in Europe and major American cities, which is really typical of any agent. Simon has to insist very strongly that they book him into Iowa." The theme of sharing surfaces often when talking to Estes. Sharing is not just something he talks about, nor does he limit it to singing in the smaller cities. He frequently gives master classes for music students in cities where he performs. Estes also has endowed three scholarship funds to help young people obtain a college education, including one at the University of Iowa which has benefited more than 20 music students in five years. "I believe very strongly that we are put on this Earth to help other people. Rather than leave money for these programs in my will when I die, I like to spread the wealth around now. "When I was going to college we were very poor - poor economically but very rich in love and respect. I worked my way through the University of Iowa and I'd just like to make things easier for other young people." As a youngster of 8, Estes sang in the choir of the Second Baptist Church in Centerville. He spent seven years at the University of Iowa, singing in the Old Gold Singers and switching his major around - from pre-med to theology to social psychology. In his last year there, he was on his way to medical school - but never got there. During that last year, Estes attracted the attention of music teacher Charles Kellis, who remains one of the Estes' most influential teachers. It was during his association with Kellis that Estes developed an interest in opera, and Kellis helped to arrange for Estes to attend Juilliard School in New York. Estes spent one year at Juilliard and then, with a grant from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation and with funds raised for him by the New York Community Trust and the NAACP, he went to Europe. He sang first at the Deutsche Oper in West Berlin. Estes became a prizewinner at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966, and since has performed in all the major international opera houses. A personal and cultural milestone was passed when Estes made his debut at the Beyreuth Festival in West Germany, the shrine of Richard Wagner. Estes was the first black male ever to appear there. Since then he has sung for five seasons in the title role of "The Flying Dutchman." One reason Estes has been so successful at crossing the color bar in opera is his acting ability. "The stylization of opera enables an actor who can project a character in all its facets to be believable, even when he may not fit the character's physical description," said Glass. "Simon not only has a very fine voice, he is an excellent actor." Estes himself says that the read to pre-eminence as a singer "has been an uphill struggle. It's much more difficult for a black singer to succeed, and still more difficult for a black man than a black woman. I really am the only black man singing leading roles in the major opera houses of the world, and obviously I'm not the only one with the voice to sing classical and operatic music. "Young black men call me wherever I sing all over the world, and talk to me about the problems they are having. I've been talking about the race discrimination question for 21 years, and I hope I won't still be talking about it 21 years from now. I'm tired of talking about it, but really I'm speaking about it not for myself but for those other young men." Ironically, the only black man singing leading roles in the world's great opera houses has achieved some of his greatest successes in roles that historically have been reserved for blond Nordic types. Wagner (though long dead by Hitler's time) was adopted by Hitler as the more-or-less official composer of the Third Reich, and Wagner himself is thought to have held racist attitudes. Asked how he felt when singing roles with such a history, Estes seemed unconcerned, explaining that he thinks of talent as something that comes not from the man [Wagner] but from God. He said, "I just really separate the man from the talent. When I sing Wagner's music, I think of his gift, not of him as a man." Adding to the irony of Estes' status as a Margaret Cervarich is a freelance writer from West Des Moines. SIMON ESTES Please turn to Page 5H p. 1 (of 3)