Paul Sperry was an American tenor noted for his eloquent performances of contemporary art songs, as well as for having a broad repertoire that spanned the Baroque period to the Romantic era. Earning degrees from Harvard and the Sorbonne, Sperry studied with Richard Barrett, Michael Trimble, E. Randolph Mickelson, and Olga Ryss. He was also influenced by his coaches, Pierre Bernac, Jennie Tourel, Paul Ulanowsky, and Hans Hotter, who helped him develop a highly expressive and flexible style. Sperry has numerous world premieres to his credit, including works by Dominick Argento, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Beaser, William Bolcom, and many others. He created the central role of Michael in the world premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s opera Donnerstag aus Licht at La Scala, and sang in Jacob Druckman’s "Animus IV" for the inauguration of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He appeared in concert with many major orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Moscow Philharmonic, and sang in more than a dozen languages. He also appeared with smaller ensembles, such as the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the New York Virtuosi. Sperry taught at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, and served as the president of the American Music Center and chairman of the board of the American Composers Orchestra. He also taught at the Aspen Music Festival and was the director of the vocal program at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. Sperry served as director of the organization Joy in Singing for seven years, where he worked to help young singers and composers enliven the art of vocal music. Sperry recorded for several labels, including Nonesuch, Zephyr, Albany, and Innova. He died of heart failure on June 13, 2024 in Manhattan, surrounded by his family. ~ RJ Lambert & Blair Sanderson, Rovi