Birth

:

March 26, 1894 in Czernowitz, Bukovina

Death

:

October 23, 1985 in Ehrwald, Austria

Genre

:

Opera

 

Viorica Ursuleac was a Romanian soprano who was born on March 26, 1894, in Chernivtsi, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was the daughter of a Romanian Orthodox priest and grew up in a musical family. Her father was a singer and her mother played the piano. Ursuleac began singing at a young age and received her first vocal training from her father. In 1912, Ursuleac moved to Vienna to study at the Vienna Conservatory. She studied with the famous soprano Selma Kurz and made her debut in 1915 at the Vienna State Opera as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's "The Magic Flute." She quickly became a favorite of Viennese audiences and was soon performing in other major European cities. Ursuleac's career took off in the 1920s and 1930s, and she became known for her performances of Mozart, Richard Strauss, and Wagner. She was particularly renowned for her portrayal of the title role in Strauss's "Salome," which she performed over 200 times throughout her career. Ursuleac was also known for her performances of Wagner's heroines, including Elsa in "Lohengrin" and Sieglinde in "Die Walküre." In addition to her operatic performances, Ursuleac was also a successful concert singer. She performed in recitals throughout Europe and was known for her interpretations of lieder by Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Ursuleac's career was interrupted by World War II, and she was forced to flee Vienna in 1944 due to the Nazi occupation. She eventually settled in Switzerland, where she continued to perform in concerts and recitals. She retired from singing in 1955 and died on October 22, 1985, in Sion, Switzerland. Throughout her career, Ursuleac received numerous awards and honors. She was made a Kammersängerin (Chamber Singer) by the Vienna State Opera in 1928, and in 1936 she was awarded the title of Kammersängerin des Deutschen Reiches (Chamber Singer of the German Reich) by the Nazi government. She was also awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art in 1953. Ursuleac's legacy as a singer is still celebrated today. Her recordings of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Strauss's "Salome" are considered definitive interpretations of those works. She is also remembered for her powerful voice and dramatic stage presence, which made her one of the most celebrated sopranos of her time.

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