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Paul Ukena
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Paul Ukena
Paul Ukena (August 19, 1921 – March 10, 1991) was an American operatic baritone and musical theatre actor who had an active career from the 1940s through the 1970s. After beginning his career entertaining American troops as a part of the Special Services during World War II, his first critical success was as the baritone soloist in the American premiere of Frederick Delius's Requiem in 1950. He was one of the founding members of the NBC Opera Theatre, a company he performed with throughout the 1950s in such productions as Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and the world premiere of Norman Dello Joio's The Trial at Rouen.
Ukena also enjoyed a lengthy association with the New York City Opera (NYCO) from 1958 to 1979. At the NYCO he notably appeared in a number of world premieres including Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author (1959), Robert Ward's The Crucible (1961), and Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire (1979). At the NYCO he also starred in the United States premiere of Josef Tal's Ashmedai in 1976. He starred in the off-Broadway musicals Sandhog (1954), and Hotel for Criminals (1974), and appeared in the Broadway musicals Maggie (1953) and Cry for Us All (1970).
After the 1970s, Ukena's performance appearances became rarer as he devoted his time to teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, where he was a professor from 1961 until his retirement in 1989. He also was a faculty member at the Mannes College of Music in the 1970s.
Born in Lakota, Iowa, to Juren Eiken "Jerry" Ukena and Doris Wortmann Ukena, Ukena earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the University of Dubuque in 1943. After graduation he served as a private in the Special Services department of the Army Service Forces during World War II in which he entertained American troops in performances of stage works like Sigmund Romberg's The New Moon After the war he pursued graduate studies in opera at Southern Methodist University in 1945 and then at the Juilliard School where he earned a Master of Music in 1950. While a student at Juilliard he made his professional concert debut in 1947 at Carnegie Hall as the baritone soloist in the world premiere of Charles F. Bryan's Bell Witch Cantata with Robert Shaw conducting. He appeared as a soloist in several concerts with the Robert Shaw Chorale during his early career, and is a featured soloist on the choir's 1954 album With Love from a Chorus on the RCA-Victor label.
Ukena's first critical success came on the concert stage when he served as the baritone soloist in the United States premiere of Frederick Delius's Requiem on November 6, 1950, at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the Collegiate Chorale, the National Orchestra Association conducted by William Johnson. He made his professional opera debut a month later with the NBC Opera Theatre (NBCOT) on Christmas Day 1950 as Peter, the broom-maker, in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. He continued to perform regularly with the NBCOT through 1957, notably creating roles in the world premieres of Lukas Foss's Griffelkin (1955, as Uncle Skelter) and Norman Dello Joio's The Trial at Rouen (1956, as the Jailer).
Other roles he performed with the NBCOT included:
In 1954 Ukena created the role of Tranio in the world premiere of Vittorio Giannini's The Taming of the Shrew for the NBCOT. He reprised the role for his debut with the New York City Opera (NYCO) in April 1958. He continued to perform regularly with the NYCO through 1979, notably creating roles in the world premieres of Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author (1959, The Father), Robert Ward's The Crucible (1961, Thomas Putnam), Douglas Moore's The Wings of the Dove (1961, Homer Croy), and Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire (1979, Old Orlick).
Other roles he performed with the NYCO included:
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Paul Ukena
Paul Ukena (August 19, 1921 – March 10, 1991) was an American operatic baritone and musical theatre actor who had an active career from the 1940s through the 1970s. After beginning his career entertaining American troops as a part of the Special Services during World War II, his first critical success was as the baritone soloist in the American premiere of Frederick Delius's Requiem in 1950. He was one of the founding members of the NBC Opera Theatre, a company he performed with throughout the 1950s in such productions as Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and the world premiere of Norman Dello Joio's The Trial at Rouen.
Ukena also enjoyed a lengthy association with the New York City Opera (NYCO) from 1958 to 1979. At the NYCO he notably appeared in a number of world premieres including Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author (1959), Robert Ward's The Crucible (1961), and Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire (1979). At the NYCO he also starred in the United States premiere of Josef Tal's Ashmedai in 1976. He starred in the off-Broadway musicals Sandhog (1954), and Hotel for Criminals (1974), and appeared in the Broadway musicals Maggie (1953) and Cry for Us All (1970).
After the 1970s, Ukena's performance appearances became rarer as he devoted his time to teaching at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, where he was a professor from 1961 until his retirement in 1989. He also was a faculty member at the Mannes College of Music in the 1970s.
Born in Lakota, Iowa, to Juren Eiken "Jerry" Ukena and Doris Wortmann Ukena, Ukena earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the University of Dubuque in 1943. After graduation he served as a private in the Special Services department of the Army Service Forces during World War II in which he entertained American troops in performances of stage works like Sigmund Romberg's The New Moon After the war he pursued graduate studies in opera at Southern Methodist University in 1945 and then at the Juilliard School where he earned a Master of Music in 1950. While a student at Juilliard he made his professional concert debut in 1947 at Carnegie Hall as the baritone soloist in the world premiere of Charles F. Bryan's Bell Witch Cantata with Robert Shaw conducting. He appeared as a soloist in several concerts with the Robert Shaw Chorale during his early career, and is a featured soloist on the choir's 1954 album With Love from a Chorus on the RCA-Victor label.
Ukena's first critical success came on the concert stage when he served as the baritone soloist in the United States premiere of Frederick Delius's Requiem on November 6, 1950, at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the Collegiate Chorale, the National Orchestra Association conducted by William Johnson. He made his professional opera debut a month later with the NBC Opera Theatre (NBCOT) on Christmas Day 1950 as Peter, the broom-maker, in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. He continued to perform regularly with the NBCOT through 1957, notably creating roles in the world premieres of Lukas Foss's Griffelkin (1955, as Uncle Skelter) and Norman Dello Joio's The Trial at Rouen (1956, as the Jailer).
Other roles he performed with the NBCOT included:
In 1954 Ukena created the role of Tranio in the world premiere of Vittorio Giannini's The Taming of the Shrew for the NBCOT. He reprised the role for his debut with the New York City Opera (NYCO) in April 1958. He continued to perform regularly with the NYCO through 1979, notably creating roles in the world premieres of Hugo Weisgall's Six Characters in Search of an Author (1959, The Father), Robert Ward's The Crucible (1961, Thomas Putnam), Douglas Moore's The Wings of the Dove (1961, Homer Croy), and Dominick Argento's Miss Havisham's Fire (1979, Old Orlick).
Other roles he performed with the NYCO included: