William Pell (tenor)

While at IU he performed in student productions of Andrea Chénier (Roucher), Deidamia (Fenice), L'italiana in Algeri (Haly), and Love on Trial (Count Asdrubale).

[2] Pell then moved to New York City, where he pursued graduate studies at the Manhattan School of Music and sang as a baritone with the professional choir of nearby Riverside Church, under the direction of Frederick Swann.

In 1977 he became an Affiliate Artist at San Francisco Opera where he sang the role of the officer in Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss and Procolo in Donizetti's Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali.

He had a major triumph at the Festival dei Due Mondi in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal in 1987, returning there the following year to sing Laca Klemeň.

[6] Pell also made several guest appearances at the De Nederlandse Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, La Fenice, and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma during his career.

[4] Other roles in his extensive repertoire included Desportes in Zimmermann's Die Soldaten, Jean in Antonio Bibalo's Miss Julie, Matteo in Arabella by Richard Strauss, and Zinoviy Borisovich Izmailov in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.

[3][8][9] Pell's voice is preserved on a complete opera recording of Tannhäuser made in 1988 under the direction of Giuseppe Sinopoli and on Messe für Soli, Chor und Orchester by Wolfgang von Schweinitz.