Jepson, Helen

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Jepson, Helen

Jepson, Helen, American soprano; b. Titusville, Pa., Nov. 28, 1904; d. Bradenton, Fla., Sept. 16, 1997. She studied in Philadelphia with Queena Mario at the Curtis Inst. of Music (B.Mus., 1934), and in 1936 went to Paris to study with Mary Garden. She sang with the Philadelphia Grand Opera (1928–30), then made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Helene in Seymour’s In the Pasha’s Garden on Jan. 24, 1935, remaining on its roster until 1943; also sang with the Chicago Opera (1935–42). Her roles of note included Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Marguerite in Faust, Desdemona in Otello, and Nedda in Pagliacci.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire