William Castle (22 December 1836 — 31 March 1909)[1] was an English tenor who was active mainly in the United States during the mid to late 19th century. He appeared in several English language operettas and operas on Broadway during the 1860s, and later returned to Broadway in 1886 to star as Sándor Barinkay in the United States premiere of Johann Strauss II's The Gypsy Baron. Historian Kurt Gänzl described Castle as the "most popular operatic tenor of the Victorian era on the English-language stages of America".
While he primarily achieved acclaim in his performances in English, Castle also performed in Italian language operas at the Academy of Music (New York City) and on tour in the United States with Jacob Grau's opera company in the 1860s.[2] He toured the United States performing in English with numerous opera companies in 1860s through the 1880s, including Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa's Carl Rosa Opera Company and companies operated by Emma Abbott, C. D. Hess, Gustav Hinrichs, Clara Louise Kellogg, and Caroline Richings.[2]
After retiring from opera, Castle continued to perform on the stage as an actor in plays by William Shakespeare into his later years; often portraying characters requiring musical performance. He achieved. particular success as Amiens in As You Like It.[4]
Castle died in Chicago at 442 West Adams on 31 March 1909.[1]
