Professor Bernard Diamant was born in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands, in 1913. His father, also Bernard Diamant, was
a well known opera conductor, and his mother was a well
known opera singer specializing in Wagner roles
Shortly after the second world war, Prof Diamant emigrated
to Canada where, based in Montreal and later at the
University of Toronto, he quickly established himself as one
of Canada's foremost singing teachers. Among his notable
pupils were Maureen Forrester, Gaylene Gabora, John Boyden,
Joan Patteneude and Janet Stubbs.
He retired in 1985 and returned to Holland where he lived in
Amsterdam in an elegant canal house on the Leidsegracht. He
returned to Canada regularly to give master classes. He died
in August 1999.
