Teresa Stratas facts for kids
Teresa Stratas (born May 26, 1938) is a famous Canadian opera singer and actress. She is known for her powerful soprano voice and her acting skills on stage. She won awards for her recording of an opera called Lulu. Teresa Stratas is now retired from performing.
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Early Life and Start in Opera
Teresa Stratas was born Anastasia Stratakis in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Her family came from Crete, Greece, and worked hard to make a life in Canada. When she was 13, she sang Greek pop songs on the radio.
She later studied singing at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. At 20, Teresa had her first big opera role as Mimì in La bohème at the Toronto Opera Festival. Just one year later, in 1959, she won a special competition that led her to perform with the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Teresa Stratas performed in many important opera houses around the world. These included the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Italy, the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia, and the Vienna State Opera in Austria. She sang many different roles, showing her amazing talent as both a singer and an actress. Some of her famous roles included Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, and the main character in Salome. People often say she was one of the best singing actresses of the 1900s.
In 1962, she even appeared on a TV game show called "To Tell The Truth"! The show's goal was for panelists to guess who the real Teresa Stratas was among three people.
Career Highlights and Special Moments
Teresa Stratas had many memorable moments in her career. In 1964, she was the first to play the role of Sardulla in the opera The Last Savage in the United States. 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. In 1989, she did something very special at the Metropolitan Opera. She sang all three main female roles in Puccini's Trittico in one night!
She also created the role of Marie Antoinette in the new opera The Ghosts of Versailles in 1991. Her last performance with the Metropolitan Opera was in 1995. Over 36 years, she performed 385 times in 41 different roles there. Her most frequent roles were Liu in Turandot, Nedda in Pagliacci, and Mimì in La bohème.
Teresa Stratas also starred in several film versions of operas. These included Salome (1974), Pagliacci (1982), and La traviata (1983).
In the 1980s, Teresa took time away from her singing career to help others. She traveled to Calcutta, India, and worked with Mother Teresa in an orphanage and a home for the dying. In the 1990s, she again paused her career to live in a hospital in Romania. There, she helped clean and care for sick and dying orphans.
In 2008, Teresa Stratas made a rare public appearance for an interview in New York. She now lives in Florida.
Awards and Recognition
Teresa Stratas has received many awards for her amazing talent:
- She won Grammy Awards for her opera recordings, including Lulu (1981) and Verdi's La traviata (1984).
- She won a Drama Desk Award for her acting in the musical Rags (1987).
- She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Rags (1987).
- She was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1972, which is a high honor in Canada.
- She received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2000.
- In 2001, she received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Filmography
Teresa Stratas appeared in several films, often playing roles from operas:
- Salome (1974)
- The Bartered Bride (1978)
- Amahl and The Night Visitors (1978)
- La bohème (1981)
- Pagliacci (1982)
- La traviata (1983)
- Under the Piano (1996)
See also
In Spanish: Teresa Stratas para niños
- Mozart: Così fan tutte (Alain Lombard recording)
