Biography

Peter Pears was born on June 22, 1910 in Farnham, Surrey, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Billy Budd (1966), Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Looking Glass (2011). He died on April 3, 1986 in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, UK.

Opera singer (tenor), one of the founders of the Aldeburgh Festival (which was inaugurated in 1948). He continued singing into his 60s, and after his retirement was active in teaching and promoting young singers at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh.

Last name pronounced "peers," not "pairs.".

The long-time companion of composer Benjamin Britten, he created the tenor leads in almost all of Britten's operas.

He was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1957 and knighthood in 1978 for his services to music.