Teresa Stratas facts for kids
Teresa Stratas OC (born May 26, 1938) is a famous Canadian opera singer and actress. She is known for her powerful voice and amazing acting on stage. Teresa Stratas has Greek roots and became especially famous for her award-winning recording of an opera called Lulu. She is now retired from performing.
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Early Life and Her Start in Opera
Teresa Stratas was born Anastasia Stratakis in Oshawa, Ontario, near Toronto. Her family came from Crete, Greece, and worked hard to make a living. When she was just 13, she was already singing Greek pop songs on the radio!
She later studied singing at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. At 20, Teresa made her first professional opera appearance as a character named Mimì in the opera La bohème. Just one year later, in 1959, she won a big competition called the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This led to her performing with the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Teresa Stratas went on to sing in many of the world's top opera houses. These included the Bolshoi in Russia, the Vienna State in Austria, and La Scala in Italy. She became known for her ability to act out her roles with great emotion. People often say she was one of the best singing actresses of her time.
She sang many different roles in operas like Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Madama Butterfly, and Carmen. She even appeared on a TV game show called "To Tell The Truth" in 1962. The show's panelists had to guess which of three people was the real Teresa Stratas. It was a fun moment in her early career!
Amazing Performances and Career Highlights
Teresa Stratas had many memorable moments during her career. In 1964, she helped create a new role in an opera called The Last Savage at the Met. She also starred in a film version of the opera Salome in 1974.
A very important moment was when she sang the main role in the first complete performance of Alban Berg's opera Lulu in Paris in 1979. This performance was a huge success. She also sang all three main female roles in Puccini's Trittico at the Met in 1989. This was a very difficult and impressive feat!
Teresa Stratas performed at the Metropolitan Opera for 36 years. She appeared in 385 shows and sang 41 different roles! Her most frequent roles there included Liu in Turandot and Mimì in La bohème. Her last performance at the Met was in 1995.
She also starred in several opera films, including Salome (1974), Pagliacci (1982), and La traviata (1983). In 1988, she recorded the role of Julie La Verne in a famous recording of the musical Show Boat. This recording was praised by critics as the best ever made.
Helping Others Around the World
Teresa Stratas is not only known for her singing but also for her kind heart. In the 1980s, she traveled to Calcutta, India, to work with Mother Teresa. She helped at an orphanage and a home for people who were very sick.
In the 1990s, she took a break from her singing career again. She moved into a hospital in Romania to help care for sick and dying orphans. She cleaned beds, washed children, and provided comfort. Her dedication to helping others shows her amazing character.
Teresa Stratas returned to New York in 2008 for an interview, her first public appearance in over ten years. She now lives in Florida.
Awards and Special Recognition
Teresa Stratas has received many awards for her incredible talent and contributions:
- Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album for Lulu (1981).
- Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for Verdi's La traviata (1984).
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress – Musical for Rags (1987).
- She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (1972), which is a very high honor in Canada.
- She received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement (2000).
- She has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame (2001).
Recordings
- Alban Berg, Lulu, conducted by Pierre Boulez, Deutsche Grammophon, 1981
- Teresa Stratas – The Unknown Kurt Weill, Nonesuch 79019
- Stratas Sings Weill, Nonesuch 79131
- Jerome Kern, Show Boat, conducted by John McGlinn, EMI, 1988
- Lehár, Die lustig Witwe, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, Deutsche Grammophon, 1973
Film Appearances
- Salome (1974) – title role
- The Bartered Bride (1978)
- Amahl and The Night Visitors (1978)
- Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1979)
- La bohème (1981) – as Mimì
- Pagliacci (1982) – as Nedda
- La traviata (1983) – as Violetta
- Stratasphere: Portrait of Teresa Stratas (1989) – a documentary about her
- The Ghosts of Versailles (1991)
- Under the Piano (1996)
See also
In Spanish: Teresa Stratas para niños
