Glade Peterson, 61, internationally famed singer and founder and general director of the Utah Opera Company, died last week after a long fight with cancer. A giant in his field, he had come to be regarded by Utahns as a local treasure.
A "cowboy at heart," he retained a deep appreciation for the peaceful beauty of Fairview, Utah, where he grew up and where he became an accomplished horseman.Although an athlete of promise, Peterson chose instead to pursue a rare musical talent by taking voice lessons, earning his way as a clerk at ZCMI. He first auditioned for Maurice Abravanel in 1948, and then sang with the Utah Symphony. He moved to New York in 1955 to advance his career. In 1958, he made his professional debut as Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" with the NBC Touring Company in Amherst, Mass.
His European debut came in 1960 in Spoleto, Italy, at the Festival of the Two Worlds when he sang Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Boheme." That same year he performed for the first time with the Zurich Opera and remained their leading tenor for 15 years. Zurich, Switzerland, became a second home for him and his growing family.
In 1975, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera. Over a period of years, Peterson appeared as guest artist with major opera houses all over Europe, as well as the United States. He gave more than 1,500 performances of 75 different roles in a rich career.
In 1975, he returned to Utah to fulfill a lifelong dream of founding the Utah Opera Company to bring the magic he felt in opera to his fellow Utahns. He succeeded admirably. For the past five years, the opera has performed at the Capitol Theatre to capacity audiences.
A man of great spirit and enthusiasm for life, Glade Peterson was one of the few people who seemed to be able to accomplish everything he set out to do. Blessed with a beautiful and powerful voice, he also had exceptional skills with people, making him unusually successful in the management of the opera.
His energy and drive allowed him to have an unusually diversified career, culminating with the introduction of opera to his home state, giving him a unique place in Utah's history of the arts.