Birth

:

January 23, 1930 in Landwarów, Wilno Voivodeship, Poland

Death

:

August 28, 2021

Period

:

Classical

 

 

Romantic

Genre

:

Choral

 

 

Opera

 

 

Vocal

 

Teresa Zylis-Gara was a renowned Polish soprano who was born on January 23, 1935, in Poznań, Poland. She was the daughter of a Polish father and a Lithuanian mother. Her father was a lawyer, and her mother was a singer. Zylis-Gara grew up in a musical family, and her mother was her first music teacher. Zylis-Gara began her music education at the Poznań Conservatory, where she studied piano and voice. She later continued her studies at the State Higher School of Music in Warsaw, where she studied with the famous Polish soprano, Maria Fołtyn. Zylis-Gara made her operatic debut in 1956 at the Wrocław Opera House, where she sang the role of Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème. Zylis-Gara's career took off in the 1960s when she began performing at major opera houses in Europe and the United States. She made her debut at the Royal Opera House in London in 1962, where she sang the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni. She also made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1968, where she sang the role of Mimi in La Bohème. Zylis-Gara was known for her powerful and expressive voice, which was particularly suited to the works of Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini. She was also known for her dramatic interpretations of roles, which made her a favorite among audiences and critics alike. One of Zylis-Gara's most memorable performances was her portrayal of the title role in Puccini's Tosca at the Royal Opera House in London in 1976. Her performance was widely praised, and she received a standing ovation from the audience. She also received critical acclaim for her performances in Verdi's Aida and Don Carlos, as well as Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. Zylis-Gara was the recipient of numerous awards and honors throughout her career. In 1970, she was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest honors. She was also awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1977 for her contributions to Italian culture. In 1980, she was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis by the Polish government. Zylis-Gara retired from the stage in 1991, but she continued to teach and mentor young singers. She was a professor of voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, Germany, from 1991 to 2000. She also taught master classes at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Zylis-Gara passed away on May 28, 2020, at the age of 85. She was remembered by her colleagues and fans as a gifted artist and a generous mentor. Her legacy lives on through her recordings and the many singers she inspired and taught throughout her career.

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