Born: September 19, 1918 - Monessen, Pennsylvania, USA

The American mezzo-soprano, Blanche Thebom, born to Swedish-American parents, studied singing with Margaret Matzenauer and Edyth Walker in New York.

Blanche Thebom made her concert debut in 1941, with the Metropolitan Opera, as Fricka in December 1941. She made her Met debut in November 1944 at the Philadelphia's Academy of Music as Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde. She was the leading dramatic mezzo-soprano of the Metropolitan Opera for 22 years, created the American premiere performances of Baba the Turk in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, the Mother in Strauss' Arabella, and Mére Marie in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites. In her 22 seasons with the Met (1944-1959, 1960-1967) she appeared in 356 performances, 28 roles, and 27 works. She also sang in various opera houses in America and Europe, with increasing success. The first American to sing at the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow, Blanche Thebom is also remembered for her Dorabella in the historic production directed by Alfred Lunt of Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte, and for her Brangäne on Flagstad/Wilhelm Furtwängler recording of Tristan und Isolde.

In 1967 Blanche Thebom was appointed head of the Southern Regional Opera Company in Atlanta. It folded in 1968. In 1968 she was appointed director of the opera workshop of San Francisco State University. Blanche Thebom founded the Opera Arts Training Program, a three-week workshop in conjunction with San Francisco Girls Chorus in 1988. She lives and teaches in San Francisco.

Source: San Francisco Girls Chorus Website (2000-2001); Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997); OPERAlmanac Mailing List (September 2004)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (June 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Robert Shaw

Alto

BWV 243, BWV 245

Links to other Sites

SFGC: Blanche Thebom

Blanche Thebom (AMG)

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