'Mr. Opera' Shares Love for Musical Melodrama

Mr. Opera is a well-deserved moniker for Harry Clamor, 88, of Wheaton.

For the past 10 years, he has put on his opera "hat" for the first love of his life and the Chicago Lyric Opera Lecture Corps.

Growing up in Chicago, he recalls his family attending the opera, only never as a family.

"We owned an ice cream parlor, tobacco and candy store, so someone had to mind the store. My mother
would take the two girls and my dad would take me," Clamor said.

"My favorite opera growing up was 'La Boheme.' It's the simple story of boy meets girl, boy loves girl and she dies. I hum the music for days after hearing it."

Now he shares the love of his youth from September to March as a member of the opera lecture corps, visiting libraries in Naperville, Glen Ellyn and Lombard, as well as the senior residents at Windsor Park in Carol Stream,Wyndemere in Wheaton, Beacon Hill in Lombard and Fairview Village in Downers Grove.

"We visit schools, retirement communities and libraries and tell the story of the operas of the season and play the musical highlights," he said.

Clamor not only is a lecturer, but also organizes all the volunteers who go out in the communities. He calls it a full-time job recruiting and auditioning new volunteers to join the 50 lecturers for more than 100 sites in the area to discuss Lyric's season of eight operas.

His other talent is painting, which he took up after retiring from the business world of economics and
marketing. His paintings decorate his home and have been reproduced on his Christmas cards.

His holidays focus on his love of opera with an annual trip to Europe for a week of listening to rare operas,
usually in Italy. He also spends a week visiting Sarasota, Fla., for opera week.

His contacts in the opera world have allowed Clamor to offer a special gift to his fellow residents at
Wyndemere with "A Night to Remember," an annual event for the past four years. He secures the talent to
present a program featuring two or three soloists that results in standing room only for more than 170
listeners.

"People here are very generous with their comments," he said. "I have received hugs and squeezes from
residents."