Tofts, Catherine

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Tofts, Catherine

Tofts, Catherine, English soprano; b. c. 1685; d. Venice, 1756. She first gained notice as a singer when she appeared in a series of London concerts (1703-04). In 1704 she sang at London’s Drury Lane, where she soon became a leading rival of Margherita de L’Epine. From 1705 until she was stricken with insanity in 1709 she was a member of the company. She apparently recovered sufficiently to marry Joseph Smith, who served as English consul in Venice.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire