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Dutch-born American tenor Philip van Lidth de Jeude has sung many roles in various theaters, such as Otello at Landestheater Detmold and Male Chorus (THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA) at Theater Vorpommern in Stralsund and Greifswald. Among his most important roles are Peter Grimes, Herod Antipas (SALOME), Florestan (FIDELIO), Radames (AIDA), Tichon in KATA KABANOVA and Don José (CARMEN), all of which he has sung in multiple theaters throughout Germany. He has guested at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, at the Eutin Opera Festival at the Castle Gardens, in Nürnberg, Wuppertal and Münster, at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, with the Bavarian State Theater at Gärtnerplatz on tour and with the State Theater of Oldenburg, among others. During the summer of 1995 he sang the role of Samson SAMSON ET DALILA at Stifting Spanga in the Netherlands to critical acclaim.
In addition, he has been heard as des Grieux (MANON LESCAUT), Laca (JENUFA), Cavaradossi (TOSCA), Bacchus (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS) and Erik (THE FLYING DUTCHMAN), among other roles, at the United Municipal Theaters of Krefeld and Mönchengladbach, where he was engaged during 1988-1995. During his previous engagement in Würzburg, he sang the title role in the German Premiere of Lorenzo Ferrero's SALVATORE GIULIANO.
Philip van Lidth de Jeude began his musical studies at the age of seven with private piano instruction. He received his first experience in music theater as Harry McAfee in BYE BYE BIRDIE and has performed in several other musicals, most notably as Tevye in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, both in the United States and in German translation in Europe. His first show as conductor was FINIAN'S RAINBOW in 1974, and he has also been Musical Director for SHOWBOAT, DESERT SONG and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.
After receiving his Bachelor of Music and Post-Graduate Certificate at Philadelphia's prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, he studied for his Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and taught both voice and piano. He also began publishing poems in literary magazines and premiered several of his compositions during this period. After receiving his Master of Music, he joined the ensemble of the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists in Chicago, IL, USA, as a baritone, where he sang the role of Baritone I in the Midwest Premiere of Peter Maxwell Davies' THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. MAGNUS in April 1980 and had the opportunity of singing supporting roles in productions of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
He won a Bronze Medal in the 1981 International Competition for Musical Performance in Geneva, Switzerland, and began a free-lance career, singing supporting and leading baritone roles. These included Enrico (LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR), Germont (LA TRAVIATA) and Gérard (ANDREA CHENIER). He performed with several theaters in the United States, including New Jersey State Opera, Providence Opera Theater and Michigan Opera Theater. Wolf Trap Opera featured him as Ben Hubbard in an important revival of Marc Blitzstein's REGINA (based on Lillian Hellman's THE LITTLE FOXES), and he sang the role of Miecznik in the US Premiere of Moniuszko's THE HAUNTED CASTLE for Michigan Opera Theater in October 1982. In April 1983 he retired from the operatic stage to begin the transition to tenor. He was included in the International Who's Who in Music, Tenth Edition in 1985.
In May 1985 he made his professional debut as a tenor in Handel's ISRAEL IN EGYPT with the Ridgefield Chorale in Ridgefield, CT. That December he produced and directed his own adaptation of Charles Dickens' Christmas classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL to sold out houses and critical acclaim. He appeared in Handel's MESSIAH and several other concerts, and he won the 1986 Guild of the Opera Company of Boston Auditions for Professional Singers. After further concert performances in the United States that summer, he accepted an invitation to participate in the program at the International Opera Center in Zurich, where the Zurich Opera featured him in supporting roles in two productions and assigned him to cover two major roles in their 1986-1987 season. Mr. van Lidth de Jeude has also been a featured soloist in oratoria in both Swtzerland and Germany and is occasionally heard in recital.
Mr. van Lidth has also made a foray into the world of film acting, portraying the Generalissimo of a guerilla group which has successfully toppled the government in a fictitious South American country. This was for the Dutch film production of ABEL, THE FLYING LIFT BOY by BOS Bros. Film-TV Productions, directed by Ben Sombogaart with a screenplay by Burny Bos based on the children's book by Annie M. G. Schmidt. Filming was on location in Seville and in El Rocio, Spain as well as in the Netherlands and in Luxemburg. The film was premiered in Amsterdam in November 1998 and became the Christmas film in the Netherlands that year. It has been released on video and has recently been shown by both WDR and the Kinderkanal in Germany.
He continues to appear in concert and recital from time to time, and one of his most interesting appearances was in New York City, where he joined his sister in a recital in which, for the first time in history, Wagner's twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde, were sung by a real brother and sister team.
Mr. van Lidth maintained a voice studio in Mönchengladbach, where he lived for many years, and was also active as a teacher of English as a Second Language after receiving his TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate from Trinity College, London/Surrey Language Center. After teaching at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois during the 2001-2002 academic year, Mr. van Lidth set up a private voice studio in Alton, IL, and returned to singing free-lance. He has also served as adjudicator for the Southern Illinois Young Artists' Competition in Edwardsville, IL.
After moving to North Carolina in July 2004, he is engaged in setting up a new voice studio while continuing as free-lance singer.
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