Rosa ponselle biography

Rosa Ponzillo, known as Rosa Ponselle (January 22, 1897 – May 25, 1981) was an American operatic dramatic soprano.
At just twenty-one years old, she was debuting as the first American soprano to sing at the Metropolitan opera without European experience or formal training.
The first American-born, American-trained singer to star at the Met, she was remembered by some critics as the greatest voice of her day.

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On November 15, 1918, Rosa Ponselle was convinced that she was never going to see another day, let alone another performance. At just twenty-one years old, she was debuting as the first American soprano to sing at the Metropolitan opera without European experience or formal training. Ponselle had been invited by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso to audition for the female lead in Giuseppi Verdi’s La Forza del Destino and had fainted during her audition. On the day of her premier her nerves began to consume her again, and Ponselle convinced herself she was not even going to make it through the first act. When she got through the second act she thought, “A miracle has happened.” Indeed, she went on to achieve one of the most triumphant debuts in the history of opera.

Rosa Melba Ponzillo was born on January 22, 1897, the third child of Italian immigrant parents, in Meriden, Conn. By the time she was eight, her voice was developing well and it was already clear that she had great talent. Her musical career officially began when she was just eleven. As a young singer

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Rosa Ponselle

The opera legend was born Rosa Ponzillo in Meriden, Connecticut on January 22, 1897, of Italian immigrant parents. Rosa Ponselle lived in Baltimore, Maryland from the late 1930s until her death in 1981.

Ms. Ponselle was one of the greatest opera singers of all time and was the first native-born American to reach such a grand status in the world. She opened the door of acceptance to American singers at the Metropolitan Opera Company and throughout the world.

Enrico Caruso discovered her when he attended a variety show at which she was appearing with her sister, Carmella. He was captivated by the beauty of her voice and sponsored her audition at the Metropolitan Opera Company. In 1918 she made her Met debut in La Forza del Destino opposite Caruso. Ponselle was the first American to achieve that distinction. She went on to many subsequent triumphs and is thought of by many as the greatest Norma of all time.

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Opera Profile: Tang Xianzu’s ‘The Peony Pavilion’

Rosa Ponselle, born on Jan. 22, 1897, is widely considered one of the greatest American sopranos of all time.

The Meriden, Connecticut native was born Rosa Ponzillo and showed natural music gifts from her earliest years. She seemed more inclined toward a career in instrumental music, but eventually shifted toward a career in cabaret. She started off as a silent-movie accompanist and by 1914, she had a strong reputation as a singer.

She sang in the 1912 Broadway music “The Girl From Brighten” and was subsequently hired to engage with her sister in a “sister act” between 1915 and 1918. She would eventually manage to audition for both Victor Maurel and Enrico Caruso, who would get her an audition with Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the Met’s General Manager. He was so taken by her singing that she was offered a contract for 1918-19.

Her Met debut came on Nov. 15, 1918 as Leonora in “La Forza del Destino,” alongside Caruso. It was also her first performance on any opera stage. She would go on to a career a leading lady at