Evelyn Lear

Evelyn Lear (born January 8, 1926) is an American soprano and opera singer. Lear was well known for her musical versatility, having sung all three main female roles in Der Rosenkavalier. She was also known for her work on 20th century pieces by Robert Ward, Martin Levy, Rudolf Kelterborn and Giselher Klebe. During her career between 1959 and 1992, Evelyn Lear appeared in more than forty operatic roles, appeared with every major opera company in the US and won a Grammy Award in 1966.

Early operatic career

She was born in Brooklyn, New York and completed her musical education at Hunter College, New York University and the Juilliard School of Music studying voice, piano, French horn and composition. While at Juilliard she studied under Sergius Kagen and met her future husband, baritone Thomas Stewart. Both Lear and Stewart won Fulbright scholarships to study at Hochschule für Musik in Berlin where she studied with Maria Ivogun.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn - New York - Hunter College - New York University - Juilliard School of Music - Sergius Kagen - Thomas Stewart - Fulbright scholarships - Berlin - Maria Ivogun

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She started her opera career as a member of the Berlin Opera Company in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos playing the composer, a lead role which she would later play at a number of leading opera houses. Miss Lear played the title role in Alban Berg?s Lulu for the Austrian debut in concert form in 1960. She had only three weeks to learn the role, having been called in as a late replacement sick friend. Her performance was so strong that she played the role in the first staged version since World War Two at the Theater an der Wien at the Vienna Festival of 1962 with Karl Bohm conducting. The performance was repeated in 1964. She also performed in Lulu while making her stage farewell from opera in the late 1980s, this time in the mezzo-soprano role of Countess Geschwitz.

Related Topics:
Berlin Opera Company - Richard Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos - Alban Berg - Lulu - Austria - 1960 - World War Two - Theater an der Wien - Vienna Festival - Karl Bohm - 1964 - Mezzo-soprano

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