London, George

London, George (b. Burnstein)

(1919–85) bass-baritone; born in Montreal, Canada. He studied voice in Los Angeles and made his operatic debut at the Hollywood Bowl in 1941. After years of further study and touring he joined the Vienna State Opera in 1949 and the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1951. There his rich voice and dramatic abilities illuminated roles including Boris Gudunov, which he also sang to acclaim in Moscow. Illness ended his singing career in the mid-1960s; his last years were spent heading opera organizations.