Anna Moffo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Moffo
Moffo in 1962
Born	(1932-06-27)June 27, 1932 Wayne, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 9, 2006(2006-03-09) (aged 73) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Opera singer (soprano) television personality actress
Years active	1956–1974
Spouse(s)	Mario Lanfranchi ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1972)​ Robert Sarnoff ​ ​ (m. 1974; died 1997)​

Anna Moffo (born June 27, 1932 – died March 9, 2006) was a famous American opera singer, TV star, and actress. She was known for her beautiful, strong voice that could sing many different notes. Anna was a type of opera singer called a lyric-coloratura soprano, which means she had a high, clear voice. She was also known for being very beautiful, earning her the nickname "La Bellissima," which means "The Most Beautiful" in Italian.

Anna Moffo won a special scholarship called a Fulbright to study music in Italy. She became very popular there after performing in three TV shows in 1956. She then came back to America for her first big performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on October 16, 1957. Later, she made her debut at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York on November 14, 1959. She sang at the Met for more than 17 years.

Anna Moffo started recording music with EMI Records. In 1960, she signed a special contract with RCA Victor and recorded many albums until the late 1970s. In the early 1960s, she even had her own TV show in Italy. She also appeared in several opera films and other movies.

In the early 1970s, Anna Moffo became popular in Germany too. She performed in operas, appeared on German TV, and made more films. She kept performing in America at the same time. However, her very busy schedule caused her voice to become tired, and she never fully recovered. Her last performance at the Metropolitan Opera was in 1983.

Early Life and Education

Anna Moffo was born in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Nicola and Regina Moffo, were immigrants from Italy. After finishing high school at Radnor High School, Anna decided not to go to Hollywood to become an actress. Instead, she went to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. There, she studied with Eufemia Giannini-Gregory.

In 1954, Anna received a Fulbright scholarship to continue her studies in Italy. She went to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Her teachers there included Mercedes Llopart and Luigi Ricci. Later, she also took private voice lessons in New York City with Beverley Peck Johnson.

A Star is Born: Her Career

Anna Moffo (right) with Janet Cox-Rearick Waldman (left) at a cafe in Rome in 1954, when both were Fulbright Fellows in Italy

Anna Moffo's first official opera performance was in 1955 in Spoleto, Italy. She sang the role of Norina in an opera called Don Pasquale. Soon after, even though she was not very well known, she got a big role. She played Cio-Cio San in a TV version of Madama Butterfly for Italian television (RAI). This TV show aired on January 24, 1956. It made Anna Moffo famous across Italy almost overnight!

After that, she quickly received many more offers. That same year, she appeared in two other TV opera productions: as Nannetta in Falstaff and as Amina in La sonnambula. She also sang as Zerlina in Don Giovanni at a festival in France.

Anna started recording music for EMI. She sang as Nannetta in Falstaff and as Musetta in La bohème with famous singers like Maria Callas. The next year, 1957, she performed in major opera houses. These included the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, La Scala in Milan, and the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.

Anna Moffo came back to America for her first performance there. She sang as Mimì in La bohème with Jussi Björling at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on October 16, 1957. That season, she also performed in Mignon, Le nozze di Figaro, and Lucia di Lammermoor. Her performance of Lucia's "Mad Scene" was so amazing that the audience gave her a 10-minute standing ovation!

Her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was on November 14, 1959. She sang the role of Violetta in La traviata, which became one of her most famous roles. She performed at the Met for 17 seasons. She sang many other roles there, including Lucia, Gilda, Adina, Mimì, Liù, Nedda, Pamina, Marguerite, Juliette, Manon, Mélisande, Périchole, and all four heroines in Les contes d'Hoffmann. A special production of La traviata was even created just for her in 1966.

Anna Moffo also sang at the San Francisco Opera for the first time on October 1, 1960. During this time, she appeared on American television and had a successful career singing in major opera houses around the world. These included places like Stockholm, Berlin, Monte Carlo, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires. In March 1961, she sang as Liù in Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera with Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli. She also made her debut at the Royal Opera House in London as Gilda in Rigoletto.

Grave of Anna Moffo Sarnoff in Kensico Cemetery

Anna Moffo was especially popular in Italy and performed there often. She hosted her own TV show called "The Anna Moffo Show" in 1964 and 1967. She was even voted one of the ten most beautiful women in Italy! She appeared in film versions of her operas, like La traviata (1967) and Lucia di Lammermoor (1971). Her first husband, Mario Lanfranchi, directed these films. She also acted in other movies that were not operas, such as Menage all'italiana (1965) and The Adventurers (1970). In the early 1970s, she started appearing on German television and in operetta films.

Her very busy schedule led to her voice becoming tired in 1974. She never fully recovered from this. Even though she continued to sing in operas until 1980, her performances became less frequent. Her last performance at the Met was in 1983 during their 100-year celebration. After she stopped singing, Anna Moffo remained active. She was a board member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and gave masterclasses to young singers.

Personal Life

Anna Moffo was married two times. Her first marriage was to stage and film director Mario Lanfranchi on December 8, 1957. They divorced in 1972. Her second marriage was to Robert Sarnoff, who was the head of the RCA Corporation. They married on November 14, 1974. Robert Sarnoff passed away on February 22, 1997.

Anna Moffo spent her last years in New York City. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 73 from a stroke. She had also been battling breast cancer for ten years. She is buried with her second husband, Robert Sarnoff, at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Anna Moffo in 1962

See also

In Spanish: Anna Moffo para niños