Hayes, Catherine

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Hayes, Catherine

Hayes, Catherine, Irish soprano; b. Limerick, Oct. 25, 1825; d. London, Aug. 11, 1861. She studied with Antonio Sapio in Dublin, where she began her career as a concert artist in 1840. She later pursued training with Manuel Garcia in Paris and Domenico Ronconi in Milan. On May 10, 1845, she made her operatic debut as Bellini’s Elvira in Marseilles, and then sang with fine success at Milan’s La Scala and in Vienna. From 1849 she appeared in London. She also made tours of the U.S., Australia, and India. She was especially admired for her roles in operas by Rossini, Mercadante, Donizetti, and Verdi.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire