William Zakariasen
Encyclopedia
William Zakariasen was an American opera
tic tenor
and music critic.
, Zakariasen began his career as a classical tenor in the late 1950s, appearing in operas and in concerts. He sometimes performed under the name William Saxon. In the early 1970s he moved away from performance into the field of journalism
, establishing himself as a respected Manhattan
-based music critic. In 1976 he became the chief classical-music critic of the New York Daily News
where he worked for the next seventeen years. After leaving the New York Daily News in 1993 he became the classical-music/opera critic for The Westsider/Chelsea Clinton News in 1994. He remained in that position until his death in 2004 in New York City
. Zakariasen was also a repete contributor of articles to Opera News
magazine and to New York Concert Review.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and music critic.
Biography
Born in Blue Earth, MinnesotaBlue Earth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,621 people, 1,535 households, and 925 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,137.0 people per square mile . There were 1,666 housing units at an average density of 523.1 per square mile...
, Zakariasen began his career as a classical tenor in the late 1950s, appearing in operas and in concerts. He sometimes performed under the name William Saxon. In the early 1970s he moved away from performance into the field of journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, establishing himself as a respected Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-based music critic. In 1976 he became the chief classical-music critic of the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
where he worked for the next seventeen years. After leaving the New York Daily News in 1993 he became the classical-music/opera critic for The Westsider/Chelsea Clinton News in 1994. He remained in that position until his death in 2004 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Zakariasen was also a repete contributor of articles to Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
magazine and to New York Concert Review.