Anthony Clark Evans

Lauded for his "stentorian Verdi style" by the Chicago Tribune and as "warm-toned, vivacious and humane" by the San Francisco Chronicle, baritone Anthony Clark Evans is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most promising Verdi baritones of his generation. The 2019 - 2020 season sees Mr. Evans return to San Francisco Opera in his role debut as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut, conducted by music director Nicola Luisotti. Mr. Evans also reprises the role of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Lyric Opera of Chicago and in his house debut with Opera Philadelphia. Concert work includes his debut with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra singing Brander in Berlioz's La damnation de Faust conducted by Stéphane Denève. The 2018 - 2019 season saw four role debuts for Mr. Evans, including the title role in Rigoletto with Kentucky Opera, Zurga in the Lee Blakeley production of Les Pêcheurs de perles with Santa Fe Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Tulsa Opera, and Tonio in Pagliacci with Opera San Jose. Mr. Evans ill also reprised the role of Marcello in La bohème in his house debut with Dallas Opera. Orchestral engagements included the baritone soloist in William Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Thomas Søndergård, and his debut with the Phoenix Symphony in Beethoven Symphony Number 9 conducted by Tito Muñoz. Operatic highlights include Mr. Evans' debut with the Metropolitan Opera as the Huntsman in the new Mary Zimmerman production of Rusalka, which was broadcast to theatres around the world as part of the Met's Live in HD program, his San Francisco Opera debut as Sharpless in the Jun Kaneko production of Madama Butterfly, his San Diego Opera debut as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and his debut with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Querido Arte in Guatemala as Marcello in La bohème. Additional roles at Lyric Opera of Chicago include Riccardo in I Puritani, opposite Larry Brownlee, the Jailer in Tosca (covering the Sacristan), Yamadori (covering Sharpless) in Madama Butterfly, the Huntsman (covering the Gamekeeper) in Rusalka, creating the role of Simon Thibault in the world premiere of Bel Canto, and covers of Leporello in Don Giovanni, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, the Count in Capriccio and Wolfram in Tannhäuser. Concert work includes his Ravinia Festival debut singing in Bernstein's Songfest with Ensemble dal Niente, Theatre Director in Les Mamelles de Tirésias with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, an appearance at the Richard Tucker Gala at Carnegie Hall, and an appearance on the "Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park" concert, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Honors and awards include a 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World main prize finalist, a Grand Finals Winner of the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a 2017 Richard Tucker career grand, a 2014 Sarah Tucker Career Grant, and top prizes in the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition, Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, Marcello Giordani Competition, Giulio Gari Competition, and the Mario Lanza Competition. Mr. Evans took second prize in both the Liederkranz Foundation Competition and the Opera Index Competition, as well as prizes from the Sullivan Foundation, the Luminarts Fellowship, and the American Opera Society. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Mr. Evans studied voice at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, and was a member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Evans resides in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.