main content Sir Geraint Evans (1922-1992)

34 Birchwood Road, Petts Wood, BR5 1NZ

The Welsh baritone, Sir Geraint Evans, was born in Pontypridd on 16th February 1922. He studied with Theo Hermann in Hamburg and later with Fernando Carpi in Geneva and at the Guildhall School of Music, London. He joined the Covent Garden company in 1948, making his debut as the Night watchman (Meistersinger Von Nurnberg) and continued to make regular appearances at Covent Garden until the 1970s, steadily building a reputation there, as well as at Glyndebourne Festival 1950-61. International debuts quickly followed.

Evans was made a CBE in 1959 and knighted in 1969. He was Patron of the Churchill Theatre in 1978 and has lived at 34 Birchwood Road, Petts Wood (original still exists 1961). In 1984 he made his farewell appearance at Covent Garden and in the same year his autobiography, `A Knight at the Opera`, was published. Above all it was for his resourceful and genial wit that he was admired. His own success helped to gain prestige for British singers abroad from the 1960s. Geraint Evans died in Aberystwyth 19 September 1992.