George London (bass- baritone)

George London (May 30, 1920 – March 24, 1985) was a Montreal-born concert and operatic bass-baritone. After extensive concertising with tenor Mario Lanza and soprano Frances Yeend as part of the Bel Canto Trio in 1947-48, London was engaged by the Vienna State Opera, with whom he scored his first major success in 1949. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1951. In 1958, London performed the leading role of Wotan, in the groundbreaking recording of Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold, conducted by Sir Georg Solti, and produced by John Culshaw for Decca.

During his Met career, in 1956, he appeared on Ed Sullivan's television program in an abridged version of Act II of Tosca, opposite Maria Callas, conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos. A kinescope of that performance was preserved.

A paralyzed vocal cord ended his singing career prematurely in 1967. In 1971, London established the George London Foundation for Singers, which gives grants to young opera singers early in their careers. $80,000 is given each year to the winners of an annual competition. From 1975 until 1980 he was general director of the Washington Opera (later the Washington National Opera).

He died in Armonk, New York.

References

• London, Nora. George London: Of Gods and Demons. Fort Worth: Baskerville, 2005 (ISBN 1-880909-74-X)

External links

• from the George London Foundation
• George London Foundation