Tuesday 1 July 2008

Opera manager Edgar Vincent dead at 90 after a six-decade career








NEW YORK - Edgar Vincent, who represented Placido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Mikhail Baryshnikov and a bevy of stars in classical music during a six-decade career, has died following an operation in New York. He was 90.

Vincent died Thursday at Lenox Hill Hospital, Patrick Farrell, his business partner, said Monday. He fell following surgery to replace a stent in his bile duct, and died during rehabilitation from a blood clot.

Vincent was the primary spokesman for Domingo for the past 20 years.

"There are no words to express the personal loss I feel nor the professional loss to the world of opera," Domingo said in a statement.

"I knew Edgar Vincent from the beginning of my career in the U.S. and his impact on my life cannot be measured.

"In fact, I know of no-one who was not touched by Edgar's dignity and humanity throughout the world of music. We will not see the likes of Edgar again."

Vincent managed the careers of Sills and Baryshnikov, and in recent years also represented bass player Samuel Ramey, violinist Gil Shaham and composer William Bolcom.

In an career that landed his clients on newspaper front pages and magazine covers, Vincent was the publicist for sopranos Birgit Nilsson and Mirella Freni, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, basses Ezio Pinza and Cesare Siepi, and violinist Yehudi Menuhin.

He managed conductor Erich Leinsdorf and soprano Teresa Stratas.

Vincent was cremated Monday, according to Farrell, who had worked with Vincent for 21 years.










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