Frederica von Stade

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Frederica von Stade (b. June 1, 1945, Somerville, New Jersey) is an American mezzo-soprano who grew up loving opera. Her commonly-used nickname is "Flicka."

She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970, and was a sensation as "Cherubino" in The Marriage of Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera in July 1971^[1]. Since then she has performed many roles with the Met as well as with almost every major opera company in the world.

Trained in the bel canto style, von Stade is famous for her roles in Rossini's The Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola as well as Bellini's La Sonnambula.

In addition to her opera work, she has also performed and recorded a wide range of music including numerous musicals, such as The Sound of Music and Show Boat, appeared on numerous PBS specials, most notably in 1991's A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert, and has done humorous recordings like "Songs of the Cat" with Garrison Keillor. She is also an accomplished recital artist, mastering the music of Mozart and Haydn and that of contemporary Broadway.

Composers such as Dominick Argento and Jake Heggie have produced works specifically for her. More recently, she originated the role of "Tina" in Dallas Opera's world premiere production of Argento's The Aspern Papers. Also, Richard Danielpour composed Elegies for orchestra, mezzo-soprano, and baritone in memory of Miss von Stade's father, Charles von Stade, who was killed in World War II two months before Miss von Stade's birth. Elegies premiered in January 1998 with the Jacksonville Symphony led by Robert Nierenberg, and has now be recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Miss von Stade was the featured performer at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and also sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the Cultural Olympiad held in conjunction with the games. She also sang at the choir's annual Christmas Concert the following year. [1]

She has made over sixty recordings with every major label, including complete operas, aria albums, symphonic works, solo recital programs, and popular crossover albums. Her recordings have garnered six Grammy nominations, two Grand Prix du Disque awards, the Deutsche Schallplattenpreis, Italy's Premio della Critica Discografica, and "Best of the Year" citations by Stereo Review and Opera News.

Miss von Stade was awarded France's highest honor in the Arts when she was appointed as an officer of L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and, in 1983, she was honored with an award given at The White House by President Reagan in recognition of her significant contribution to the arts.

[edit] Trivia

Miss von Stade was the idol of a key character in the CBS series Northern Exposure (her music appeared on its original soundtrack album).

[edit] References

^ "It was two of the newcomers who left the audience dazzled: Frederica von Stade as Cherubino and Kiri te Kanawa as the Countess. Everyone knew at once that these were brilliant finds. History has confirmed that first impression", Eleanor Scott, The First Twenty Years of The Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, New Mexico: The Sunstone Press, 1976