Soprano Friedl Teller-Blum has died at the age of 88.

Born in Austria as Frieda to the cabaret artist Oskar Teller, her family escaped to the USA after the 1938 Anschluss. In the USA, Teller studied at Hunter College and Columbia University in New York.

At the age of 16, she made her first appearance on stage and became a member of the Metropolitan Opera studio. She would also become a member of the Volksoper, Städtische Bühnen Münster, and the Israel National Opera and would become a frequent guest at some of the leading European theaters.

She sang more than 40 roles including her signature “Madama Butterfly” and Violetta in “La Traviata” and gave concerts with all Israeli orchestras and at the Original Abu-Gosh Music Festival.

Teller-Blum made recordings for Kol Israel, Radio Hilversum, RAI, WNYC, records, and participated in concert tours through Israel, Europe, and the USA.

In 1976, the soprano began to teach voice, vocal literature, and diction at the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel-Aviv University and in 1985 became head of the singer’s department.