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Born: February 26, 1942 - Nantyffyllon, Wales, UK
Died: September 15, 2012 - Binghamton, New York, USA |
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The Welsh-born American tenor, Alan Charles Crabb, was born in Nantyffyllon, Wales on February 26,1942. He traveled to Ellis Island as a very young boy and still remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty as he entered the harbor in New York. He graduated from the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam).
Alan Crabb is most well-known for his beautiful tenor voice, his skill as a conductor, and his compassion and inspiration as a teacher. A gifted singer, he was well-known in both local and national music circles. appeared with many of the major orchestras of North America, including those of Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Denver, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Binghamton Symphony and Choral Society, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Canada, as well as in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In addition to his symphonic and oratoria work, he was, for many years, a well-regarded operatic tenor, performing locally with Tri-Cities Opera and also with the Syracuse, Pittsburgh and other companies. His affiliation with Tri-Cities Opera began in the late 1960's as chorus master, and, during the 1970's, he sang leading roles from lyric (Rodolfo in La Boheme) to heroic (Manrico in Il Trovatore).
As a conductor, he was commended for his ability to inspire the musicians under his baton to the highest levels of musical excellence. For many people in the community, Crabb will be remembered for leading the Binghamton Downtown Singers since the group’s inception in 1983. More than 350 singers have participated with the group over the years, enjoying an opportunity to perform great choral masterworks with a full orchestra. Many of these singers began their association with Crabb as high school students when he was a music teacher at Johnson City High School. Downtown Singers concerts have been made available to the community at minimum or no cost in order to broaden the audience for great music. The annual December performance of Handel’s Messiah has become a holiday tradition for listeners as well as performers and will continue this year.
Alan Crabb taught voice at Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University and Broome Community College, and was a guest lecturer with the Cleveland Orchestra. A vocal and choral teacher in Broome County for many years, he also served as a choir director at local churches.
In 2004, Alan Crabb received a bronze star on the City of Binghamton’s “Sidewalk of the Stars.” on September 15, 2012 with his devoted and loving wife Marisa at his side where she had been for two weeks as he bravely fought to overcome complications from a heart procedure at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. He was 70 years old. |
