Christa Ludwig is one of the German mezzo-sopranos of all time.

Born on March 16, 1928 in Berlin, Ludwig had music all around her from a young age. Her father was a tenor and her mother was a mezzo who was performing under Herbert Von Karajan at the Aachen Opera; she proved to be the young Christa’s first voice teacher.

At 18, Ludwig debuted at Frankfurt and remained a fixture with the company for six years. She also became a member of other German companies until in 1955, she became a principal artist of the Vienna State Opera. She wasn’t even 40 by the time she was appointed Kammersängerin with the company, a feat often reserved for singers who have an extensive history with a  particular company. She would wind up singing there for over 30 years.

In 1959, she made her American debut in Chicago, followed by her first Met Opera performance. She would remain with the company until 1993, taking on over 120 performances in 15 roles.

In addition to her work on the opera stage, Ludwig was a renowned recitalist who specialized in the lieder repertory.

Her final live opera performance took place in 1994 in the role of Klytemnestra in “Elektra.”

She is one of the most decorated opera singers of all time winning accolades from such countries as Austria, France, Germany, Poland, and the U.S. among others.

Signature Roles

Ludwig sang a wide range of repertory, but she was best known for her work in the German operas, specifically those of Wagner and Strauss. Her Fricka set a high bar that most have to aspire to; the same could be said for her Brangäne from “Trtistan und Isolde” and Waltraude from “Götterdämmerung.”

She also had a knack for taking on soprano roles to great success; among those that she championed were the Marschallin in “Die Rosenkavalier” and Leonore in “Fidelio.”

Read More on Ludwig

Here’s some controversy she stirred up in a recent interview

Operas That She shared with Tereza Berganza

Watch and Listen

Here are 10 hours-worth of music featuring Ludwig.