DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987 | 1985-02-22 ""Old Gold alumni visit Simon Estes at the Met""

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Cecile Cooper newspaper clippings, 1966-1987

1985-02-22 ""Old Gold alumni visit Simon Estes at the Met""

Cedar Rapids Gazette Feb. 22, 1985

Old Gold alumni visit Simon Estes at the Met

Old friends throw a birthday bash for their U of I college buddy.

By Dee Ann Rexroat
Gazette Arts and Entertainment writer
When he was a University of Iowa student, Simon Estes often got conned into taking out the garbage after dining at the Iowa City apartment of two of his friends from the Old Gold Singers.
He's now the singing part of Porgy in the Metropolitan Opera's long-awaited first production of "Porgy and Bess," but he'll be reminded of his KP duties next weekend when some of his close friends from Old Gold attend the George Gershwin opera at Lincoln Center and throw a 47th birthday party for him.
Harding Junior High School principal Alan Whitworth is one five Old Gold alumni who are meeting with spouses and friends in New York City next Friday for the performance and party. All five attended school together from 1959 to 1963 and were close friends.
Among the gifts Estes will receive, Whitworth says, is a box of garbage bags.
"When we were in college, two of our group had an apartment and we used to go up there and eat a lot. We always conned him (Estes) into taking out the garbage and we're going to get him a bunch of garbage bags," he says.

WHITWORTH'S GAG gift is a record, one that Estes probably does not hold in his collection. "Let's put it this way," Whitworth says diplomatically, "there's one opera star who Simon is not very fond of as a person and I'm going to get him one of his records."
He has kept in touch with Estes over the years through phone calls and attending his performances. They last saw each other when Estes performed with the Des Moines Symphony in 1984.
The other four Old Gold alumni come from California, Virginia, New Jersey and Connecticut. They'll meet next Friday morning in New York for breakfast and "to reminisce." After that evening's performance of "Porgy and Bess," two of them will host a reception for Estesin a rented suite across from Carnegie Hall, only blocks from Lincoln Center.
The birthday party will be the following night in New Jersey, the state where Estes and his wife Yvonne and infant daughter Jennifer reside. (They own a second home in Switzerland.) Yvonne was due to give birth to their second child last weekend.
Estes' college music friends have been wanting to meet for one of his performances for several years, Whitworth says, and when Estes was cast as Porgy in "Porgy and Bess" they decided it was the perfect time.
"The people who are going were pretty close to Simon in college," Whitworth says, adding that Estes had "a lot of other friends -- he was very well-liked.
"He was one of the guys, that's for sure, but he had a tremendous voice then" and had a lot of solos, Whitworth recalls, but when asked whether he saw Estes' star potential, he replies, "We just never thought of it, none of us were music majors."
One of Whitworth's favorite Old Gold stories concerns Estes' sense of humor.

THEIR DIRECTOR, he says, insisted that his singer-dancers introduce themselves and state their hometown, year in school and major during performances.
"After doing that a lot we tired of it so people started making up hometowns and majors. Simon one time says that he was from Beaver Creek, Neb., and his major was ethnological gerontology. We all feel that he holds the record for most original fake major."
Estes is, in fact, a Centerville, Iowa, native. He later attended the Juilliard School and made his Met debut three years ago.
"He is a generous, caring person," Whitworth says of his friend. "He is the most clean-cut person I think I know -- and he always has been.
"Wherever he goes in the country, if Old Gold Singers are around, they all go there and see him. We're all so darn proud of him and proud to know him that we're looking forward to it."

[[Photo caption]]
PORGY AND BESS AT THE MET: Simon Estes and Grace Bumbry sing together during dress rehearsal of the American Opera's "Porgy and Bess" production at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Estes' college friends from the U of I will see the opera next weekend and throw a birthday party for him.
[[end photo caption]]

[[photo caption]]
ESTES IN CEDAR RAPIDS: Harding Junior High principal Alan Whitworth poses with his college friend Simon Estes in February, 1983, when Estes was in town to sing with the cedar Rapids Symphony.
[[end caption]]

'86 U of I opera will feature Estes

IOWA CITY -- Simon Estes will return to his alma mater next year to sing the title role in Moussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov" with the University of Iowa Opera Theater. The student production will be performed in Hancher on April 25-27, 1986.
He will be on campus for two weeks of rehearsals and to conduct master classes with students.
U of I Opera Theater director Beaumont Glass worked with Estes in Zurich, Switzerland, before taking his U of I position. Glass also coached and accompanied Estes in Europe.
Estes encouraged Glass to apply for his current U of I position and has returned to Iowa City several times for coaching from Glass.

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Cedar Rapids Gazette Feb. 22, 1985 Old Gold alumni visit Simon Estes at the Met Old friends throw a birthday bash for their U of I college buddy. By Dee Ann Rexroat Gazette Arts and Entertainment writer When he was a University of Iowa student, Simon Estes often got conned into taking out the garbage after dining at the Iowa City apartment of two of his friends from the Old Gold Singers. He's now the singing part of Porgy in the Metropolitan Opera's long-awaited first production of "Porgy and Bess," but he'll be reminded of his KP duties next weekend when some of his close friends from Old Gold attend the George Gershwin opera at Lincoln Center and throw a 47th birthday party for him. Harding Junior High School principal Alan Whitworth is one five Old Gold alumni who are meeting with spouses and friends in New York City next Friday for the performance and party. All five attended school together from 1959 to 1963 and were close friends. Among the gifts Estes will receive, Whitworth says, is a box of garbage bags. "When we were in college, two of our group had an apartment and we used to go up there and eat a lot. We always conned him (Estes) into taking out the garbage and we're going to get him a bunch of garbage bags," he says. WHITWORTH'S GAG gift is a record, one that Estes probably does not hold in his collection. "Let's put it this way," Whitworth says diplomatically, "there's one opera star who Simon is not very fond of as a person and I'm going to get him one of his records." He has kept in touch with Estes over the years through phone calls and attending his performances. They last saw each other when Estes performed with the Des Moines Symphony in 1984. The other four Old Gold alumni come from California, Virginia, New Jersey and Connecticut. They'll meet next Friday morning in New York for breakfast and "to reminisce." After that evening's performance of "Porgy and Bess," two of them will host a reception for Estesin a rented suite across from Carnegie Hall, only blocks from Lincoln Center. The birthday party will be the following night in New Jersey, the state where Estes and his wife Yvonne and infant daughter Jennifer reside. (They own a second home in Switzerland.) Yvonne was due to give birth to their second child last weekend. Estes' college music friends have been wanting to meet for one of his performances for several years, Whitworth says, and when Estes was cast as Porgy in "Porgy and Bess" they decided it was the perfect time. "The people who are going were pretty close to Simon in college," Whitworth says, adding that Estes had "a lot of other friends -- he was very well-liked. "He was one of the guys, that's for sure, but he had a tremendous voice then" and had a lot of solos, Whitworth recalls, but when asked whether he saw Estes' star potential, he replies, "We just never thought of it, none of us were music majors." One of Whitworth's favorite Old Gold stories concerns Estes' sense of humor. THEIR DIRECTOR, he says, insisted that his singer-dancers introduce themselves and state their hometown, year in school and major during performances. "After doing that a lot we tired of it so people started making up hometowns and majors. Simon one time says that he was from Beaver Creek, Neb., and his major was ethnological gerontology. We all feel that he holds the record for most original fake major." Estes is, in fact, a Centerville, Iowa, native. He later attended the Juilliard School and made his Met debut three years ago. "He is a generous, caring person," Whitworth says of his friend. "He is the most clean-cut person I think I know -- and he always has been. "Wherever he goes in the country, if Old Gold Singers are around, they all go there and see him. We're all so darn proud of him and proud to know him that we're looking forward to it." [[Photo caption]] PORGY AND BESS AT THE MET: Simon Estes and Grace Bumbry sing together during dress rehearsal of the American Opera's "Porgy and Bess" production at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Estes' college friends from the U of I will see the opera next weekend and throw a birthday party for him. [[end photo caption]] [[photo caption]] ESTES IN CEDAR RAPIDS: Harding Junior High principal Alan Whitworth poses with his college friend Simon Estes in February, 1983, when Estes was in town to sing with the cedar Rapids Symphony. [[end caption]] '86 U of I opera will feature Estes IOWA CITY -- Simon Estes will return to his alma mater next year to sing the title role in Moussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov" with the University of Iowa Opera Theater. The student production will be performed in Hancher on April 25-27, 1986. He will be on campus for two weeks of rehearsals and to conduct master classes with students. U of I Opera Theater director Beaumont Glass worked with Estes in Zurich, Switzerland, before taking his U of I position. Glass also coached and accompanied Estes in Europe. Estes encouraged Glass to apply for his current U of I position and has returned to Iowa City several times for coaching from Glass.