Studer, Cheryl
Studer, Cheryl
Studer, Cheryl, American soprano; b. Midland, Mich., Oct. 24, 1955. She received her training in Ohio, at the Univ. of Tenn., and from Hans Hotter at the Vienna Hochschule für Musik. After appearing in concerts in the U.S., she made her debut at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as Maïenka in The Bartered Bride in 1980. From 1983 to 1985 she sang at the Darmstadt Opera. In 1984 she made her U.S. operatic debut as Micaela at the Chicago Lyric Opera. From 1985 she sang at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. She made her Bayreuth Festival debut in 1985 as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser. In 1986 she sang Pamina at her debut at the Paris Opéra. In 1987 she made her first appearance at London’s Covent Garden as Elisabeth, and also sang at Milan’s La Scala. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. in 1988 as Micaela, and subsequently sang there with success. In 1989 she made her first appearance at the Salzburg Festival as Chrysothemis. In 1990 she sang Elsa at the Vienna State Opera. She appeared as Giuditta at the Vienna Volksoper in 1992. On May 4, 1994, she made her Carnegie Hall recital debut in N.Y. In 1996 she was engaged as Beethoven’s Leonore at the Salzburg Festival. She has won particular distinction for such Strauss roles as Salome, the Empress in Die Frau ohne Schatten, and Daphne. Among her other admired roles are Donna Anna, Lucia, Aida, and Singlinde.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire