Baklanov Georgy Andreyevich, real surname Bakkis, *4 January 1881 (23 December 1880) Riga, †6 December 1938 Basel, Russian singer (baritone). He studied at conservatories in Kiev and St Petersburg, then in Milan under V.M. Vanzo. He made his debut in 1903 at the Kiev Opera House as Amonastro in Verdi’s Aida, and between 1905 and 1909 he was a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He performed on many opera stages in Russia and abroad, including La Scala in Milan, the Paris Opera, the Hofoper in Vienna, and the Grand Theatre in Warsaw (1912, 1913, 1914, 1930), gaining worldwide fame. In 1911–14, he was a soloist at the Boston Opera, and from 1917 he performed in Chicago and Philadelphia. He impressed audiences with the power of his voice, the depth of his dramatic expression and his outstanding acting talent.
