Loretta Di Franco

Loretta Di Franco
Black and white publicity shot of half-smiling woman in full make-up, with bouffant, straight, dark, shoulder-length hair, combed back
Di Franco in the 1980s
Born(1942-10-28)October 28, 1942
New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 30, 2024(2024-12-30) (aged 82)
OccupationOperatic soprano
OrganizationsMetropolitan Opera

Loretta Di Franco (October 28, 1942 – December 30, 2024) was an American operatic soprano. She was known for her more than 900 performances at the Metropolitan Opera from 1961 to 1995.

Biography

Di Franco was born in New York City on October 28, 1942.[1] She first worked as a secretary and studied voice with Maud Webber and Walter Taussig.[1] She became a member of the opera chorus of the Metropolitan Opera (Met) in New York City, and was eventually promoted to singing small comprimario roles, beginning with one of the pages in Wagner's Tannhäuser[2][3] and the peasant girl in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro in 1961.[1][4] She went on to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1965 which led to her engagement as a soloist. Her first substantial role was Chloe in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.[1] She continued to appear annually at the Met for the next 30 years, performing both leading and supporting roles.[2]

Her roles at the Met included:

In 1991, she created the role of the Woman with Child in the world premiere of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles.[1] This was also the role in which she gave her final performance at the Metropolitan in April 1995.[5] She appeared in 929 performances at and with the Met, placing her 36th on the list of the company's performers with the most appearances.[6]

Di Franco also worked as a concert singer. She appeared as a guest, at major houses in the U.S. and at the 1975 Salzburg Festival as Hüterin der Schwelle in Die Frau ohne Schatten by R. Strauss.[1]

After retiring from her singing career, she remained with the Met as a language coach,[2] including English diction coach for a new production of Britten's Peter Grimes in the 2007/08 season and as Italian coach for many international guests at the Met.[7]

Di Franco died on December 30, 2024, at age 82.[2][7][8]

Videography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Kutsch, K. J.; Riemens, Leo (2012). "di Franco, Loretta". Großes Sängerlexikon (in German) (4th ed.). De Gruyter. p. 1169. ISBN 978-3-59-844088-5.
  2. ^ a b c d "Loretta Di Franco Has Passed Away". Oberon's Grove. December 30, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Tannhauser 01/16/1961". Metropolitan Opera Archives. Metropolitan Opera, New York. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Marriage of Figaro 01/11/1962". Metropolitan Opera Archives. Metropolitan Opera, New York. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "The Ghosts of Versailles 04/21/1995". Metropolitan Opera Archives. Metropolitan Opera, New York. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Metropolitan Opera Archives". Metropolitan Opera Archives. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Salazar, Francisco (December 31, 2024). "Obituary: Metropolitan Opera Soprano Loretta Di Franco Dies at 82". OperaWire. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  8. ^ "Loretta Di Franco". The New York Times. January 5, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Di_Franco