Winters began to study singing privately in
Salisbury, North Carolina, before entering
Howard University in 1941, where he studied singing with
Todd Duncan. This would have been the premiere public performance of his career. After graduating from Howard in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in music, he joined the
Eva Jessye Choir. Shortly thereafter he sang the lead role in a concert production of
Clarence Cameron White's
Ouanga. Following this he became musical director in the Special Services Division at
Fort Huachuca as a member of the
U.S. Armed Forces. After the end of
World War II, Winters moved to
New York City in 1946 where he was almost immediately engaged for the
Broadway musical revue Call Me Mister, portraying a variety of smaller roles. His official recital debut followed in 1947 at
Town Hall in New York. Then, in 1948, he debuted as an opera singer in the
New York City Opera (NYCO) in Verdi's
Aida as Amonasro. He portrayed several more roles with the NYCO over the next seven years, including Dessalines in
William Grant Still's
Troubled Island (1949), the four villains in
Jacques Offenbach's
The Tales of Hoffmann (1949), Escamillo in
Georges Bizet's
Carmen (1949), Tchelio in
Sergei Prokofiev's
The Love for Three Oranges (1950), Tonio in
Ruggero Leoncavallo's
Pagliacci (1950), Timur in
Giacomo Puccini's
Turandot (1950), Alfio in
Cavalleria rusticana (1950), The Messenger in the world premiere of
David Tamkin's
The Dybbuk (1951), the title role in
Giuseppe Verdi's
Rigoletto (1951), King Balthazar in
Gian Carlo Menotti's
Amahl and the Night Visitors (1952), Colline in Puccini's
La bohème (1952), the title role in
Béla Bartók's ''
Bluebeard's Castle'' (1953), Count Almaviva in
Mozart's
The Marriage of Figaro (1954), Joe in
Show Boat (1954), Germont in Verdi's
La Traviata (1955), and Diomede in the New York premiere of
William Walton's
Troilus and Cressida (1955) among others. While working with the NYCO, Winters also toured as a concert artist and performed in operas with companies in Europe. In 1949 he came to Europe for the first time, drawing particular acclaim for a recital given in
Berlin. He also gave concert tours in
Central America and in the
United States Virgin Islands. In 1950 he joined the roster of principal baritones at the
Royal Swedish Opera where he sang a number of roles for two seasons. In 1951, he sang the role of Porgy opposite
Camilla Williams's Bess in the most complete recording of
Gershwin's
Porgy and Bess made up to that time. He made his debut with the
Hamburg State Opera in 1952 reprising his role in
Aida, returning there frequently through 1957. He made his first appearance with the
New York Philharmonic singing excerpts from operas in concert in 1957. In 1957 Winters became a principal baritone on the roster at the
Deutsche Oper Berlin where he spent most of his time performing in operas through 1961. He also sang in a number of roles with the
Vienna State Opera and the
San Francisco Opera during these years, including the title role in
Carl Orff's
Die Kluge, Amonasro, Fritz Kothner in
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tonio, and Wolfram in
Tannhäuser. In February 1960 he returned to Broadway as Tyree Tucker in
Ketti Frings's play
The Long Dream. One of the few non-singing roles he portrayed during his career, Winters garnered a
Tony Award nomination for his performance. He returned for one last performance at the NYCO in 1962, portraying the role of Porgy. He returned to the Hamburg State Opera in 1961, working as a principal baritone with the company until his untimely death at the age of 50 in 1965. Winters is buried at the
Ohlsdorf Cemetery. == Family ==