Teresa Berganza

Teresa Berganza was a Spanish mezzo-soprano who enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the opera world. She was born in Madrid on March 16, 1933, to parents of different political and religious views. Her father was a left-wing atheist who played the trumpet and piano, while her mother was a devout Catholic and a monarchist. Teresa inherited her father's musical talent and studied piano and voice at the Madrid Conservatory, where she won the first prize for singing in 1954. She made her concert debut in Madrid in 1955, singing Spanish songs by Manuel de Falla and Joaquín Turina. Berganza made her operatic debut as Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte in 1957 at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France. That same year, she made her debut at La Scala in Milan, Italy, as Isolier in Rossini's Le Comte Ory. She soon established herself as one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, especially in the roles of Rossini and Mozart. She sang Rosina in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cenerentola in Rossini's La Cenerentola, Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte, Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Sesto in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, and Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo. She also sang other roles such as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther, Dalila in Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila, Carmen in Bizet's Carmen, Octavian in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, and Ruggiero in Handel's Alcina. Berganza appeared at many of the world's leading opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Salzburg Festival. She worked with some of the most renowned conductors of her time, such as Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Colin Davis, Riccardo Muti, and Leonard Bernstein. She also made numerous recordings of operas, songs, and zarzuelas (Spanish operettas), which showcase her vocal beauty, agility, expression, and style. Berganza was also a dedicated teacher who taught master classes at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid and other institutions around the world. She was passionate about promoting Spanish music and culture and often performed zarzuelas and folk songs from different regions of Spain. She also participated in the opening ceremonies of the Expo '92 in Seville and of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Berganza was married to pianist Félix Lavilla from 1957 to 1977. They had three children: Teresa (a soprano), Javier (a pianist), and Cecilia (a mezzo-soprano). Berganza died on May 13, 2022, at her home in San Lorenzo de El Escorial near Madrid. She was 89 years old. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered in the same town. Berganza was widely regarded as one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century and a national treasure of Spain. She received many honors and awards, including the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts in 1991, the Premio Nacional de Música in 1996, the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts in 2002, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2004, and the International Opera Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2017. She was also made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 2005 and a Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise in Spain in 2006.