Ludgin, Chester (Hall)
Ludgin, Chester (Hall)
Ludgin, Chester (Hall), American baritone; b. N.Y., May 20, 1925. After service in the U.S. Army (1943–46), he was a student of the American Theatre Wing Professional Training Program (1948–50); studied voice with Armen Boyajian. He began his career by singing in nightclubs; made his operatic debut in 1956 as Scarpia with the New Orleans Experimental Opera Theatre of America. In 1957 he became a member of the N.Y.C. Opera; sang leading roles with the San Francisco Opera from 1964; made his European debut with the Netherlands Opera in 1977. He created major roles in Ward’s The Crucible (N.Y., 1961), Imbrie’s Angle of Repose (San Francisco, 1967), and Bernstein’s A Quiet Place (Houston, 1983); also made successful appearances in productions of Broadway musicals.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire