Seattle Opera singer Gabor Andrasy, 61

Singer Gabor Andrasy, a Seattle Opera mainstay since his debut here in the 1987 "Ring," died Wednesday in Florida at 61, following a battle with abdominal cancer. Highly regarded for his deep bass voice and his acting skills, Mr. Andrasy was born in Romania of Hungarian extraction; he sang 127 performances of 18 roles with Seattle Opera, where he made his U.S. debut.

"Gabor was a vital part of Seattle Opera," said Speight Jenkins, the Opera's general director.

"A great bass, he sang here in five languages and even more styles. He will be remembered for all he did, most notably for his performances of Hagen (in Richard Wagner's 'Ring')."

Jenkins praised Mr. Andrasy's "great warmth, wonderful sense of humor, a classic hot temper that vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and a capacity for real friendship given to few."

Jenkins last spoke with Mr. Andrasy on Sunday, when the singer told him how much Seattle and all his friends meant to him, and how much the large number of cards sent to the hospital from Seattle colleagues and fans both surprised and delighted him.

"He was a great artist and an even more significant human being," Jenkins said, "a treasure to all of us who had the good fortune to know him."

In addition to such Wagner roles as Hunding, Hagen, Fafner, Daland, King Heinrich and Pogner, Mr. Andrasy performed Mozart's Commendatore and Sarastro, Weber's Hermit and Samiel, Beethoven's Rocco, Verdi's Grand Inquisitor and Philip II, Britten's Dansker (in "Billy Budd"), Catán's Captain (in "Florencia en el Amazonas"), and General Mannon (in Marvin David Levy's "Mourning Becomes Electra").

He was scheduled to return to the company this season and next for more performances as the Captain in Catán's "Florencia" and as Fafner in Wagner's "Ring." Seattle Opera is dedicating its upcoming production of Wagner's "Lohengrin" to the singer.

Mr. Andrasy is survived by his wife, Terri, and two adult children by a previous marriage. There will be a memorial service in Connecticut in early fall.

Melinda Bargreen: mbargreen@seattletimes.com