Amelita Galli-Curci
Italian
Italian-American soprano Amelita Galli-Curci, one of the most acclaimed coloratura sopranos of the early twentieth century.
Amelita Galli-Curci (1882-1963) was born in Milan and studied piano at the Milan Conservatory before turning to opera in her early twenties. Largely self-taught, Galli-Curci impressed Italian audiences from her debut in 1906 and toured widely, singing throughout Italy and in Spain, Egypt, Russia and South and Central America in the years before World War I. In 1916, while on her first visit to the United States, she made her American debut at the Chicago Opera to wide acclaim. She subsequently signed with that company for eight years. She later joined the Metropolitan Opera, for the first years singing with both the Chicago and New York companies, and remained with the Met until her retirement from opera in 1930. - NPS