Harold Evans

Adjunct Faculty

• Email Address: hevans@rider.edu
• Mailing Address: 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540

Harold Evans joined the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Voice in September 2007.  In addition, he maintains studios in New York City and Philadelphia, where he teaches classical voice, coaches singers and teaches conducting. Mr. Evans also has a significant background in operatic, orchestral and choral conducting.

From 1997 to 2003 he was Artistic Director/Conductor of the Sylvan Opera Festival and in that capacity led all of its operatic productions. During his long-term association with the Des Moines Metro Opera he served as chorus master, principal coach and conductor, leading performances of Der Rosenkavalier, Peter Grimes, Boris Godunov, Madama Butterfly, La Traviata and La Fanciulla del West.

As Conductor and Associate Music Director of the Virginia Opera he led more than forty performances of ten different productions including Die Zauberflöte, La Cenerentola, L’Elisir d’Amore, Die Fledermaus, Hänsel und Gretel and Porgy and Bess.  He has conducted for Opera Delaware, the Cleveland Opera Theater and the Hollybush Festival and has served on the coaching staffs of the St. Louis Opera and Opera Omaha.

Mr. Evans has also conducted for the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina where, in addition to leading the repertory orchestra, he prepared the Festival Chorus and Orchestra for performances of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, conducted by Robert Shaw.

During three years as resident guest conductor of The Virginia  Symphony, Mr. Evans led over forty concerts.  He has appeared with the Norfolk Chamber Consort and The Tidewater Ballet, leading Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat, Milhaud’s La Création du monde, Poulenc’s Le Bal masqué and Delibes’Coppélia.

Mr. Evans did his doctoral work at Indiana University and has studied privately with Nadia Boulanger, Julius Herford and Tibor Kozma.  He has served as rehearsal accompanist for Robert Shaw and has worked extensively as an accompanist in the studios of  Margaret Harshaw and Eileen Farrell.

Mr. Evans has twice served as adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera National Council’s auditions and in 1993 was the honored master class teacher at The Voice Foundation’s 22^nd annual symposium.  An accomplished pianist, he performs frequently as recital accompanist.