Albert Lance

Who was Albert Lance?

Albert Lance was an Australian tenor, also holding French citizenship. He was Australia's principal tenor during the 1950s and later enjoyed a highly successful career in France.

He was born in Menindee, South Australia as Lancelot Albert Ingram, but was usually known as Lance Ingram. He began singing as a child, in school and in church choir. His mother made him study voice at the Melbourne Music Conservatory. After graduation, he sang in cafés and night clubs, and joined a touring company and performed throughout Australia, singing popular songs. The director of that company was impressed enough to send him for an audition at the Melbourne Opera, where he was immediately offered a contract. He made his debut there, as Cavaradossi in Tosca, in 1950, and went on to sing Rodolfo in La bohème, and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, to considerable acclaim. He then appeared as the lead in The Tales of Hoffmann given in honor of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Ingram was noticed by the wife of the famed voice teacher Modesti, who invited him to France, for further study.