ABSTRACT
Irish/American tenor, born in Athlone, Ireland. He sang in the St. Patrick’s (Dublin) cathedral choir, won a national singing competition in 1903, studied voice in Milan (1905), and made his opera debut in 1906 in Savona. He then sang in Ireland, and at Covent Garden in October 1907 in Cavalleria. He was a great success with the San Carlo Co. in Naples, as Alfredo and the Duke. His American debut was at the Manhattan Opera Co. on 10 Nov 1909 in Traviata. He was with the Metropolitan Opera from 29 Nov 1910, singing in the 1912-1914 and 1917-1919 seasons. In 1910-1911 he was with the Chicago Opera. On the crest of world fame, he toured Australia with Nellie Melba in 1911 and appeared in Europe and South America. He became an American citizen in 1919. After 1920 McCormack devoted himself mostly to concertizing throughout the world. He did sing Wagner in Los Angeles in 1928, and starred in the motion picture Song of My Heart in 1930. His last tours were in the late 1930s and early 1940s, after which he made radio broadcasts for the BBC. He died near Dublin on 16Sept 1945.
