Opera Scotland

Horace Stevens Suggest updates

Born Melbourne 1876.

Died Melbourne 1954.

Australian bass-baritone.

Horace Stevens trained initially as a dentist. During the first world war he was invalided to Britain. His first concert appearance under Henry Wood was followed by an extensive career in both opera and oratorio, including major Wagner roles. Neville Cardus described his performance as ‘a patriarchal Wotan....Elijah-ish....nonetheless a noble piece of work’ (Opera November 1983 p1195).

In the thirties he returned to Australia and started to teach in Melbourne. His students included the tenor John Lanigan.