Acclaimed Singer Recently Passed Away at Age 91: RIP to Sir Donald McIntyre

Acclaimed singer Sir Donald McIntyre has died.

According to Opera Wire, the bass-baritone singer passed away on Nov. 13 at age 91.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand on Oct. 22, 1934, McIntyre studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London. In 1959, he made his debut with the Welsh National Opera as Zaccaria in Nabucco. He also starred in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Martin’s Lie at the Bath International Music Festival and made his Bayreuth Festival Debut in 1967, where he sang regularly until 1990.

McIntyre frequently appeared at leading opera houses such as Teatro alla Scala in Italy, Covent Garden in London, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He is best known for singing Wotan in Bayreuth’s Ring Cycle in 1976, and also appeared in Der fliegende Holländer, Parsifal, and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. McIntyre won his first and only Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for his role as Wotan/Wanderer in Der Ring Des Nibelungen in 1982.

Aside from performing, McIntyre was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1977 New Year Honours, later becoming Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 1992, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor for his services to opera.

The Bayreuth Festival honored McIntyre, calling him “one of the most important Wagner baritones of our time, whose voice and stage presence shaped the Green Hill for decades.” The obituary continued, “Since his debut in 1967, he touched audiences and colleagues alike, bringing unmistakable depth and humanity to every role.”

“We remember his legendary Wotan in Chéreau’s Ring, the restless and wise Wanderer, the loyal Kurwenal, the passionately searching Amfortas and the fascinatingly dark Klingsor,” the festival said. “In each of these characters, he combined vocal power with deep psychological understanding, bringing Wagner to life for us all. Sir Donald McIntyre was more than a singer: he was a mentor, partner, and the heart of our festival. His passion, warmth, and artistic integrity will continue to resonate in Bayreuth. We bow our heads in gratitude for his life and work.”

Sir Donald McIntyre received an Icon Award from the Arts Foundation of New Zealand in 2004, which is an honor limited to 20 living New Zealanders. In 1991, McIntyre married Jill Redington, and the two share three children. After the couple divorced, he married Bettina Jablonski in 2014.