American baritone of Swedish descent, (born Jan. 12, 1920, San Jose, California) who originated the title role of Benjamin Britten 's opera Billy Budd at its premiere at Covent Garden, London in 1951. He died in New York on March 17, 2005.
Louis Mélançon (1901-1974) was the in-house photographer for the Metropolitan Opera from 1947 to his death in 1974.