Rita Shane facts for kids
Rita Shane was a famous American singer. She was known for her amazing high voice. This type of singer is called a coloratura soprano. She was born on August 15, 1936, and passed away on October 9, 2014.
About Rita Shane's Life
Rita Shane grew up in the Bronx, a part of New York City. She went to Barnard College to study. She also took private singing lessons from special teachers like Beverly Peck Johnson.
In 1964, Rita sang in her first opera. She played Olympia in an opera called Les contes d'Hoffmann. This was with the Chattanooga Opera. The next year, she joined the New York City Opera. There, she sang as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.
People loved her singing! In 1971, she sang in a live recording of Les Huguenots. A reviewer named Charles Parsons said her performance was "borderline astonishing." That means it was incredibly good.
Rita sang many roles with the New York City Opera. She was Mme Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites. She also played Fata Morgana in The Love for Three Oranges. Later, she sang Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. One of her most famous roles was the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte.
In 1973, Rita Shane started singing at the Metropolitan Opera. This is a very famous opera house. She sang there for eight seasons. Her roles included Musetta in La bohème and Oscar in Un ballo in maschera. She also performed in La traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor.
Rita returned to the New York City Opera in 1979. She created the main character in a new opera called Miss Havisham's Fire. She also sang in La traviata again. She performed in other operas like Médée and I Lombardi alla prima crociata.
Rita also sang for the New Orleans Opera Association. She performed in La Juive and Les Huguenots. Her talent took her to big cities around the world. She sang in Milan, Vienna, and Munich. In 1972, she was praised for her singing in Schönberg's Erwartung in Salzburg. She also recorded music by Handel in 1973.
From 1989 until she passed away, Rita Shane taught music. She was a professor at the Eastman School of Music.
Rita Shane's Family Life
Rita Shane was married to Daniel Tritter from 1958 to 2005. They had a son named Michael Shane Tritter. Rita Shane passed away in 2014 when she was 78 years old.
Sources
- The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton, Simon and Schuster, 1987; ISBN: 0-671-61732-X
