love of Leontyne Price's sound, as well as being impressed with Franco Corelli, Brigitte Fassbaender and "inevitably" Maria Callas. He was helped greatly in his development by his voice teacher at Northern College, John Cameron, as well as Patricia Kern who encouraged him to go out and audition while he was still a student in Canada. More recently, after his voice was damaged in a Wagnerian role (Der Fliegender Hollander), he sought out voice teacher Susanna Eken of whom he said, "It's fair to say that she rescued me, not so much because my voice was a mess but because my confidence had gone". Recordings Recordings include the title roles in Handel's Saul and Hercules, Claggart (Billy Budd), Apollyon and Lord Hate-Good (The Pilgrim's Progress, Ralph Vaughan Williams). He has also appeared in film versions of Anna Bolena and The Mikado. He sang the part of Scarpia in a production of Tosca for Austrian television, an excerpt of which was used in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Teaching Saks is also founder and artistic director of Opera Garden, the Aberdeen International Youth Festival's Opera Project. He gives vocal master classes at various establishments, was a member of staff at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent in Belgium and currently teaches at Universität der Künste in Berlin. References 1960 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Operatic bass-baritones 20th-century South African male opera singers 21st-century South African male opera singers