Sir Geraint (Llewellyn) Evans

Baritone, born in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, S Wales, UK. He studied in London and on the European mainland, making his operatic debut at Covent Garden in 1948. He soon earned international fame, particularly in comic roles such as Mozart's Leporello, Verdi's Falstaff, and Wagner's Beckmesser. He was knighted in 1971, and retired from the operatic stage in 1984.

Sir Geraint Llewellyn Evans, born Pontypridd, 16 February 1922, was a Welsh baritone, noted for operatic roles including Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and the title-roles in Falstaff and Wozzeck

He studied in Cardiff and at the Guildhall School of Music.

At Glyndebourne in 1950 he first played the role with which he was, perhaps, most associated: the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff, which he later played in all major opera houses, including Covent Garden (1961, directed and designed by Franco Zeffirelli), the Vienna Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera (1964 in another Zeffirelli production);

Other roles in which he was celebrated were Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger, Figaro, Don Pizarro in Fidelio, Don Pasquale, Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore and Leporello in Don Giovanni.

Evans also appeared in the premières of many modern British operas, including Vaughan Williams's Pilgrim’s Progress (1951);

Recordings

Geraint Evans's recordings include:

Falstaff (conducted by Georg Solti) Mozart’s Figaro (for both Otto Klemperer and Daniel Barenboim) Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (Klemperer) Ned Keene in Peter Grimes (conducted by the composer) Beckmesser (conducted by Herbert von Karajan) Dulcamara (conducted by John Pritchard)

He also recorded Ko-Ko in The Mikado and other Gilbert and Sullivan roles conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent. Other honours conferred on him included:

Sir Charles Santley Memorial Award (1963) Harriet Cohen International Award (1967) San Francisco Opera Medal (1980) Fidelio Medal (1980)

After his retirement from the operatic stage in 1983 (his farewell performances were as Dulcamara), he worked as an operatic stage director.