| Code | DS/UK/12367 |
| Name | Blackwell; Derek (1930-1994); English tenor |
| Variations of Name | James Derek Blackwell |
| Dates | 9 February 1930-10 June 1994 |
| Gender | Male (cisgender) |
| Place of Birth/Origin | Staincross, Yorkshire, England (born) |
| Relationships | Spouse of Margaret Steel |
| Biography | Derek Blackwell was an English tenor. He began singing in the chapel as a boy soprano and realised his vocal potential during his late teens. He was sent to Leeds College of Music to study with Victor Helliwell, establishing a relationship which endured well into his career.
He established himself first through a series of comprimario roles (First Armed Man in Magic Flute; First Prisoner in Fidelio) while using the opportunities presented by the Arts Council Scottish Opera-for-all programmes to apply himself to the more taxing repertoire. With the experience of mainstream roles like Alfredo (La Traviata) and Lionel (Martha) under his belt, he progressed with the main company to Iopas (The Trojans), Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos), Froh (Rheingold) and with some success the Italian Tenor in Rosenkavalier. |