Georg Ots

(Georg Ots). Born Mar. 21, 1920, in Petrograd; died Sept. 9, 1975, in Tallinn. Soviet Estonian lyric baritone. People’s Artist of the USSR (1960). Member of the CPSU from 1946.

The son of the tenor K. H. Ots, Georg Ots graduated in 1951 from the Tallinn Conservatory, where he studied with T. Kuusik. In 1942 he became a member of the chorus of the Estonia Theater of Opera and Ballet, and in 1945 a soloist. He was equally versatile in opera, operetta, chamber music, and the songs of Soviet composers. His roles included Onegin in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (State Prize of the USSR, 1950), Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, the title role in Rigoletto and lago in Otello, both by Verdi, Meelis in V. Kapp’s Lembitu, Oleg Koshevoi in Meitus’ Young Guard, Danilo in Lehár’s Merry Widow, and Taszilo in Kálmán’s Countess Maritza. Ots also acted in films, among them Light in Koordi (State Prize of the USSR, 1952) and Mr. X. In 1968 he received the State Prize of the USSR for his concert performances.

Ots toured abroad and in many cities of the USSR. He was a deputy to the ninth convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and three other orders.