Wynne Evans (born 27 January 1972) is a Welsh tenor. Popularly known for his role as the tenor Gio Compario in the Gocompare.com insurance adverts on television in the United Kingdom, he sang, as Ubaldo Piangi, in the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. He also famously responded to the New Zealand All Blacks' Haka in 2004, singing 'Cwm Rhondda'. He went on to sing at over 30 Welsh International rugby matches.

Opera singer

Born in Carmarthen, South Wales, Evans studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio.

In 2011, Wynne was cast as the opera singer Ubaldo Piangi, in the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera; at the Royal Albert Hall for three performances on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October.

Evans enjoys a close association with Welsh National Opera where his roles include Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, Cassio in Otello (S4C Broadcast), The Duke in Rigoletto, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Alfredo in La Traviata, Jaquino in Leonore (BBC Broadcast), the Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen, the Chevalier in Les Dialogues des Carmelites, the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier, the First Jew in Salome (S4C and BBC Broadcast), Liberto in L'incoronazione di Poppea, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos and Alfred in Die Fledermaus.

He made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden singing Vakula in the new production of Cherevichki. In 2011 Evans sang Mark-Anthony Turnage opera Anna Nicole, based on the life of Anna Nicole Smith at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

For English National Opera Evans has sung Alfredo in La Traviata, Spoletta and Cavaradossi in Tosca, and Second Jew in Salome. For Opera North he has appeared as Fenton in Falstaff, Prunier in La Rondine and Paulino in The Secret Marriage. For Scottish Opera his roles include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier. For Grange Park Opera he has performed the roles of Trufaldino The Love of Three Oranges the Italian Tenor Capriccio the Schoolmaster in The Cunning Little Vixen and Harry in La fanciulla del West. For the Classical Opera Company Evans sang the role of Fracasso in La Finta Semplice. Other credits include Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld for Opera Holland Park and The Peacock in Param Vir’s Broken Strings for the Almeida Theatre, which was recorded for the BBC.

Concert singer

As a concert singer Evans' appearances include Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music at the televised opening night of the 2001 BBC Proms, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony for RTE, Elgars’s The Dream of Gerontius at the Welsh Proms, the Verdi Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall and a recital at the Wigmore Hall, London.

Evans sings as a soloist on three CD volumes entitled ‘Here Come the Classics’ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, has recorded Salome and Ariadne Auf Naxos for Chandos Records and has appeared several times on the BBC's Friday Night is Music Night. Since 2009 Evans has starred in the latest advertising campaign for one of the UK's leading insurance comparison websites, Gocompare.com, playing the flamboyant operatic tenor Gio Compario. He also appeared in a special version which was part of the 2010 Channel 4 Comedy Gala raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, in which comedian Jimmy Carr grabs him by the testicles, causing him to sing in an even higher note. The following year he appears in the ad break during the 2011 Comedy Gala where he is left hanging from a harness while Jimmy and Alan Carr go on lunch break.

He also presents on BBC Radio Wales with his brother, Mark Evans, and was awarded the MstJ by Her Majesty the Queen in 2008.

Evans is a trustee of The Elizabeth Evans Trust, a charity started in memory of his mother, Elizabeth Evans, MBE, in 2004.

Recording Artist

In 2010 Evans signed a 6 album deal with Warner Music; his first album is called A Song In My Heart and was released on the 21st March 2011. The album went straight to No 1 in the classical album charts in the following week.

Presenting

In 2011 Evans began presenting. He presented a programme about the Eisteddfod for BBC network TV, He has also presented for BBC Radio Wales and his own TV show on S4C

Personal life

Evans lives in Cardiff with his wife Tanwen, whom he married on 26 November 1999, and their two children. He has two older brothers, Mark Evans, who is also an opera singer; his eldest brother, Huw Evans, is a barrister. His wife's sister is Eos Chater from the string quartet Bond.

Evans' mother was Elizabeth Evans MBE, who founded and ran both The Carmarthen Youth Opera and The Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen for 25 years. She died in 2004 and subsequently Evans and his two brothers founded The Elizabeth Evans Trust.

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