Erik Ole Bye

Who was Erik Ole Bye?

Erik Ole Bye was a Norwegian operatic baritone. He studied singing with Morgenstierne in Oslo, zur Muhlen in London and R. Willani in Paris. He made his professional opera debut in 1913 at the National Theatre, Oslo as Don Basilio in Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville. From 1914-1917 he was a member of the Wrocław Opera House; making his debut there as Amonasro in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. In 1917 he sang with the Opéra-Comique in Paris. In November 1918 he sang the role of the High Priest in Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila for the opening of the new opera house in Oslo. From 1921-1932 he was primarily active with opera companies and orchestras in North America. He returned to Norway in 1932 where he continued to perform and worked as a businessman. He made recordings for Columbia Records, His Master's Voice, and the Victor Talking Machine Company. His son, Erik Bye, was a prominent Norwegian journalist.