Lucina Amara, born on March 1, 1925, is one of the sopranos to perform most often at the Metropolitan Opera.

The Connecticut native was raised in San Francisco, where she sang with the San Francisco Opera Chorus. In 1946 she made her concert debut after studies at the Music Academy of the West and she appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in 1948. She slowly built up her profile over the years as a student at the University of Southern California.

In 1950, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as the Voice from Heaven in “Don Carlo.” She would remain with the company until 1991, singing over 700 performances in 56 roles.

While the Met remained the center of her career for decades, she also performed around the world with such companies as the Vienna State Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival, among others.

Upon retiring from the stage, Amara became the artistic director of the New Jersey Association of Verismo and went into teaching. She appeared in a few films, including “The Great Caruso (1951).”

Signature Roles

Amara sang over 700 performances at the Met. Among the roles that she sang most often were Nedda in “Pagliacci (66 performances),” Mimì in “La Bohème (62),” and Michaëla in “Carmen (97).”

Read more on Amara

Read An Interview With The Soprano

Watch and Listen

She starred in the famous “Bohème” recording headlined by Victoria de los Angeles and Jussi Bjorling.

Here she talks about her career.