Heather Harper facts for kids

Heather Mary Harper (8 May 1930 – 22 April 2019) was a famous opera singer from Northern Ireland. She was a soprano, which means she sang the highest parts in opera. Heather Harper performed in many operas and concerts around the world.

She was known for her roles like Helena in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also sang as Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin and the Countess in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Heather Harper became very famous when she stepped in to sing in the first performance of Britten's War Requiem in 1962. She continued to be linked with Britten's music and performed in other new works.

Early Life and Music Training

Heather Harper was born on 8 May 1930 in Belfast. Her mother was Mary Robb, and her father, Hugh Harper, was a lawyer. Heather and her three brothers and sisters learned music from a young age.

She earned a scholarship to study piano at the Trinity College of Music in London. She also learned to play the viola and cello. Later, she got another scholarship to study singing.

Becoming a Soprano Singer

At first, Heather sang as a mezzo-soprano, which is a lower female voice. She was part of the Ambrosian Chorus and the BBC Chorus. Her voice was bright and flexible, which is more typical for a soprano.

She studied with Helene Isepp and then with Frederick Husler and Yvonne Rodd-Marling. They helped her train her voice to become a soprano.

Her Amazing Opera Career

Heather Harper started her professional singing career in 1954. Her first role was Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth at the Oxford University Opera Club. Critics loved her performance.

In 1956, she sang Violetta in a TV show of La traviata. From 1956 to 1975, she was a member of the English Opera Group.

Performing at the Royal Opera House

In 1962, Heather first sang at the Royal Opera House (ROH) in London. She played Helena in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

She sang many other important roles at the ROH, including:

• The main role in Arabella by Richard Strauss.
• Blanche in Poulenc's Les dialogues des Carmélites.
• Antonia in Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann.
• Eva in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

She also created new roles, like Nadia in Tippett's The Ice Break. She sang Mrs Coyle in the first stage performance of Britten's Owen Wingrave. She had also sung this role in the TV premiere in 1970. Her last performance at the ROH was as Ellen in Peter Grimes in 1981.

International Performances

Heather Harper also sang at famous opera houses around the world.

• At the Bayreuth Festival in Germany, she sang Elsa in Lohengrin in 1967 and 1968.
• She first sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1971. She played Contessa Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.
• She was a regular guest at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, she sang roles like Marguerite in Gounod's Faust.
• In 1982, she sang the main role in Gluck's Alceste with the New York City Opera.

Her Concert Career

Besides opera, Heather Harper had a very busy concert career.

• In 1962, she sang in the first performance of Britten's War Requiem. This was at Coventry Cathedral. She stepped in with only ten days' notice.
• In 1972, she sang the soprano part in the first performance of Tippett's Third Symphony.
• In 1985, she sang in the world premiere of Malcolm Williamson's song cycle Next Year in Jerusalem. This was at the Belfast Last Night of the Proms.

Heather Harper stopped singing professionally in 1994. Her final performance was at the BBC Proms. She sang Alban Berg's Altenberg Lieder and Ralph Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music.

Famous Recordings

Heather Harper made many recordings during her career.

• She recorded Peter Grimes in both audio and video.
• Some of her recordings from the 1970s were re-released. These included Mahler's Eighth Symphony.
• Two of her recordings won the Grammy Award. These were Peter Grimes in 1979 and Songs Of Maurice Ravel in 1984.
• In 1991, she recorded Britten's War Requiem, which also won an award.

Personal Life

Heather Harper was married twice. Her first marriage to Leonard Buck ended in 1972. In 1973, she married Eduardo E. Benarroch, who was a scientist.

Music was important in her family. Her sister played the cello in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Her brother played the horn with the Royal Opera House.

Heather Harper was given the CBE in 1965. This is a special award in the United Kingdom. She passed away on 22 April 2019, at the age of 88.

See also

In Spanish: Heather Harper para niños