Peter Lightfoot was a marvelous dramatic baritone whose opera career spanned five of our world’s continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Peter captivated critics and audiences alike with what Opera News called his “vocal brilliance” and what Opera called his “beautifully placed and clearly focused voice.” Throughout his career he was recognized for his skill and performing abilities and won a National Opera Institute Grant, a Sullivan Foundation Grant and a Harp Grant. He was a first place prize winner of the Boston Opera Competition and a Luciano Pavarotti Competition finalist.
Peter’s operatic roles included but were not limited to Verdi's Macbeth; Tonio in Il Pagliacci; Scarpia in Tosca and Rigoletto in Verdi's Rigoletto. He performed with the New York City Opera, the Greater Miami Opera, the Wexford Festival, L’Opera de Nice, the Houston Grand Opera, Opera Cagli, Hawaii Opera Theater, the Aspen Festival, the Spier Festival, Opera Orchestra of New York, the Wolf Trap Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Piedmont Opera Theater, Mexico City Opera, Kentucky Opera, Knoxville Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Delaware, and the Wildwood Festival. His performance of Marbuel at the Wexford Festival in The Devil and Kate is on DVD.
He also appeared in various works with the Stockholm Philharmonic, the Amsterdam Radio Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony. He was Artist in Residence for 11 seasons with the Bay View Music Festival.
Peter Lightfoot’s PBS performances included singing the title role for the world premiere of Ethan Frome by composer John Beall, and performing as Leonce in William Grant Still’s A Bayou Legend. He also sang Mahler’s Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen on a broadcast for NPR. His recording An American Tapestry with pianist Dr. Deborah Moriarity, can now be heard on Blue Griffin Records.
Peter was born April 12, 1950, to Albert and Doris Lightfoot in Flushing, New York, and his second dad was Benjamin Matheison of New York, New York.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Yatidi Lightfoot who lives in Okemos, Michigan, and his son Matthew (Matt) Lightfoot, daughter-in-love Jennifer (Jen) Lightfoot and granddaughter, Ellie Lightfoot who live in Chicago, Illinois. Peter met his first wife (and Matt’s mom) Jane Williams, who lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, when each of them was performing at Wolf Trap.
Peter attended Hackley School, preparatory high school, and held degrees from Tufts University and from The Juilliard School. Although he started singing as an altar boy, Peter had many other interests including history, football, medicine, law, politics, and model trains. He was a proud member of his university a capella group, the renowned Tufts Beelzebubs. He loved traveling, classic movies, fine dining and delighted in time with friends and family.
Also an excellent teacher, Peter was assistant and associate professor of voice at West Virginia University, and associate professor of voice at the University of Southern California and Michigan State University. He loved working with his students and was thrilled to assist them on their journey in learning to become their own best teacher.
A memorial service for Peter Lightfoot will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 7th at Martin Luther Chapel, 444 Abbot Road, East Lansing, MI. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m. and there will be a luncheon following the service.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18