Edita Gruberová, a Slovak-born soprano singer, died on October 18 in Zurich, Switzerland. She was 74 years old. One of the leading opera singers after the war, Coloratura soprano is known worldwide for her overwhelming beautiful voice and amazing technique.
She was born in Bratislava (now the capital of Slovakia) in the former Czechoslovakia. She grew up in a family where her father was of German descent and her mother was of Hungarian descent.
She began studying her music at the Bratislava Conservatory and she studied under Maria Medvekka. After winning Toulouse vocal competition in France, she made her opera debut in 1968 at the Bratislava Opera, singing “The Barber of Seville” Rosina.
After that, she worked as a singer at the J.G. Tayovsky Theater in Banská Bystrica. In the summer of 1969, she sang the Queen of the Night in “The Magic Flute” and auditioned for the Vienna State Opera, she was hired as an exclusive singer in 1970, and she moved the place of activity to the western society.
She made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England in 1973, and in 1976 she sang the Zerbinetta of “Ariadne auf Naxos” with sensational success. She made her debut in 1977 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she sang the Queen of the Night.
That year, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival with the appearance of “Don Carlo” conducted by Herbert von Karajan. She then expanded her career and made her first visit to Japan in 1980. In 1981, she starred in the Opera film “Rigoletto”, directed by the famous director Jean-Pierre Ponnell, and she also co-starred with Luciano Pavarotti.
She made her debut at the Royal Opera House in England in 1984 and at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1987, establishing her international reputation with a wide repertoire. She was one of the leading bel canto operas represented by Donizetti and Bellini, and she was unrivaled as a singer representing the present generation.
Retirement from opera is 2019, Bavarian state opera “Roberto Devereux”. After that, She moved to concerts and master class activities. She was then invited to the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in June 2020, but was postponed to October due to a corona pandemic, which was eventually canceled.
Participated in many recordings and received many awards. She is also an Austrian and Bavarian court singer and an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera. Her husband is the conductor Friedrich Haider.
Photo：Prague Proms
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