Borkh, Inge (1917–)

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Borkh, Inge (1917–)

Swiss soprano. Born Ingeborg Simon, May 26, 1917, in Mannheim, Germany, of Swiss and Austrian parents; studied acting at Max Reinhardt seminar in Vienna and singing at Salzburg Mozarteum in Milan; m. Alexander Welitsch (singer).

Performed comfortably in both Italian and German; debuted in Lucerne as Czipra in Der Ziguenerbaron (1940–41) and remained in Switzerland until 1951; came to prominence in Basel as Magda in the 1st German-language performance of The Consul (1951); debuted in San Francisco as Verdi's Lady MacBeth (1955); debuted at Metropolitan Opera as Salome (1958); gave 1st Covent Garden performance (1967); crowning achievement was probably as Elektra in Richard Strauss' opera; retired (1973).