On Dec. 28, 2025, soprano Maria Pellegrini died at the age of 86. Born on July 15, 1939 in Pretoro, Italy, Pellegrini emigrated with her family to Canada in 1958 at the age of 15. She went on to study at The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) in Toronto and later pursued further vocal studies in London. Pellegrini made her {…}
Opera director Rhoda Levine has died at the age of 93. Born in New York City, she graduated from the Bard College and went on to become a formidable Opera director choreographer educator. As an opera director Levine went on to work at Cape Town Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, Kentucky Opera, Nederlandse Opera, Theatre of St. Louis, {…}
Former Chair of the Board of the Santa Fe Opera Susan G. Marineau has died. The Santa Fe Opera announced the news via social media and said she “was a visionary leader, devoted advocate and cherished friend of the Santa Fe Opera.” Marineau worked with the company for 15 years beginning in 2011. She was the President of the Board {…}
Bruce Crawford, Former Chairman and CEO of the Board of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as the company’s 14th General Manager, has died. Crawford joined the Met Board as an Advisory Director in 1976 and served as a Managing Director from 1977 to 2008. He was then the president from 1984 to 1985 and President and CEO from 1991 to {…}
On Dec. 29, 2025, Carmen de Lavallade, the first Creole/African descendant prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera, died at the age of 94, following a short illness at a hospital in Englewood, New Jersey. Born on March 6, 1931 in Los Angeles, California to Creole parents from New Orleans, Louisiana, she studied ballet with Melissa Blake at the age of {…}
On Dec. 21, 2025, contralto Ortrun Wenkel died at the age of 83 after a short illness. Wenkel was born in Buttstädt, Thuringia on Oct. 25, 1942 and studied at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar. After immigrating from East Germany to West Germany, she continued at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. The contralto began her {…}
On Dec. 26, 2025, French baritone Robert Massard died at the age of 100. Massard was recovering from a severe fall he suffered in October that left him hospitalized. Born on August 15, 1925 in Pau, France, Massard was a self taught singer who went on to make his debut in 1952 at the Paris Opera as the High Priest {…}
Mezzo Alexandra Papadjiakou has died at the age 76. Born in Cyprus, Greece, Papadjiakou went on to study piano and harmony and continued her studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. She was eventually awarded first prize for song and lyric art and won the Toti Dal Monte award in Treviso, Italy. She also took home prizes at the International Competition {…}
On Dec. 28, 2025, French tenor Gustave Botiaux died at the age of 99. Opéra de Marseille was the first to announce the news. Born on July 14, 1926 in Puteaux, France, Botiaux went on to win the 1954 Cannes tenor competition. During the 1955-56 season, he went on to sing at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels {…}
Austrian Soprano Monika Riedler has died. Riedler studied voice at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and attended Master classes with Marianne Schech, James King, Helmut Rilling and Sergiu Celibidache. The soprano went on to build a great reputation performing in Europe, the USA and Canada and went on to be known for opera and operetta. She {…}
South African singer-turned-director Patricia Panton died at the age of 89. Born in Johannesburg, Panton originally studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan and received a diploma in classical singing. She went on to perform around Europe but eventually opted to move into directing operas. Panton first worked as assistant {…}