Elias, Rosalind (1930—)

views updated

Elias, Rosalind (1930—)

American mezzo-soprano. Born on March 13, 1930, in Lowell, Massachusetts; studied at the New England Conservatory, Boston, and at the Academia di Santa Cecilia, Rome.

Debuted at the Metropolitan Opera (1954); sang the role of Erika in the premiere of Samuel Barber-Gian Carlo Menotti's Vanessa (1958).

American born and almost completely American trained, Rosalind Elias sang over 45 roles at the Met. She has performed widely in Europe, including appearances at Glyndebourne and in South America. Elias was a part of Leonard Bern-stein's traveling casts. She also concertized widely and made many recordings for RCA. Despite a long career, Elias remained best known for her role as Erika in Vanessa, the Samuel Barber-Gian Carlo Menotti opera. Never a superstar, she was a reliable, hard-working artist, who was always available for roles of any size.

John Haag , Athens, Georgia