Juch, Emma (Antonia Joanna)

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Juch, Emma (Antonia Joanna)

Juch, Emma (Antonia Joanna), noted American soprano; b. Vienna, July 4, 1863; d. N.Y., March 6, 1939. Born of Austrian-born American parents, she was taken at the age of four to the U.S., where she studied with her father and with Murio Celli in Detroit. She made her recital debut in N.Y.’s Chickering Hall (1881), then her stage debut as Philine in Mignon at London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre (1881); that same year she appeared at N.Y.’s Academy of Music. She was a leading member of the American (later National) Opera Co. (1884–89), subsequently touring the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with her own Emma Juch Grand Opera Co. (1889–91); she retired from the operatic stage upon her marriage (1894). She was a great advocate of opera in English. Her voice was admired for its extensive range, which enabled her to sing a wide repertoire.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire