Anny Schlemm (born February 22, 1929 in Neu-Isenburg) is a German operatic soprano, and later mezzo-soprano.
Her father, Friedrich Schlemm, was a chorister at the Oper Frankfurt, and she studied in Berlin with Erna Westenberger. She made her debut at the Halle Opera House in Halle an der Saale, as Nanette in Lortzing's Der Wildschütz, in 1946. In 1949 she joined the Komische Oper Berlin, where she remained until 1961, during that period her roles included Susanna, Marenka, Donna Elvira, Desdemona, Manon Lescaut, Octavian, Arabella, etc. She also sang at the opera houses of Cologne, Hamburg, Dresden, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, and at the Bayreuth Festival, etc.
Schlemm made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House in London, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Paris Opéra, the Holland Festival, etc.
Later, as her voice darkened, she became a famous exponent of roles such as Clytemnestra in Elektra , Herodias in Salome , Kabanicha in Káťa Kabanová , and Kostelnicka in Jenůfa , etc.
A superb singing-actress and highly versatile artist, Schlemm was equally at home in comic and dramatic roles. She was once married to conductor Wolfgang Rennert.
Else Gentner-Fischer was a German operatic soprano. Although she appeared in operas internationally, her career was mainly centered at the Oper Frankfurt where she was a resident artist from 1907-1935. She excelled in the dramatic soprano repertoire, drawing particular acclaim for her portrayal of Wagnerian heroines. She was also an exponent of the works of contemporary composers. Her career was cut short in 1935 due to political pressures and prejudice exerted against her for being married to a Jewish man. She made recordings with Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd., His Master's Voice, and Polydor Records.
June Card is an American soprano and stage director who had an active career in operas and concerts from 1959 through today. She began her career as a chorus girl on Broadway before moving into opera.
Christiane Kohl is a German soprano in opera and concert.
Tanja Ariane Baumgartner is a German operatic mezzo-soprano. A member of the Oper Frankfurt since 2009, she has enjoyed an international career, appearing in major European and American opera houses and the Salzburg Festival.
Claudia Mahnke is a German operatic mezzo-soprano, a member of the Oper Frankfurt, with guest appearances at leading opera houses and the Bayreuth Festival.
Claudia Barainsky is a German operatic soprano. She has performed internationally, and won awards for her roles in contemporary operas such as Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Die Soldaten and Aribert Reimann's Medea.
Paula Murrihy is an Irish operatic mezzo-soprano who has made an international career. A member of the Oper Frankfurt, she has appeared also in Europe and the US, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Santa Fe Opera
Maria Bengtsson is a Swedish operatic soprano, who has appeared in major opera houses in Europe. She is known for roles in operas by Mozart and Richard Strauss.
Britta Stallmeister is a German operatic soprano. A member of the Oper Frankfurt from 1998 to 2015, she has appeared in major European opera houses and international festivals. She has performed in premieres, and in recitals and recordings.
Catherine Gayer is an American coloratura soprano, violinist, musicologist, and academic voice teacher. She made a career in Germany. A member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for more than four decades, she is known for her performance in premieres of contemporary operas, such as Luigi Nono's Intolleranza 1960 at La Fenice in Venice, the title role in Aribert Reimann's Melusine at the Schwetzingen Festival, and Josef Tal's Die Versuchung at the Bavarian State Opera.
Erna Schlüter was a German operatic dramatic soprano and voice teacher. Beginning as a contralto at the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in 1922, she moved to the Nationaltheater Mannheim in 1925 where her voice developed to dramatic soprano, to the Stadttheater Düsseldorf in 1930 where she appeared in 1933 in the world premiere of Winfried Zillig's Der Rossknecht and was awarded the title Kammersängerin. Her last station, from 1940, was the Hamburg State Opera.
Sylvia Geszty was a Hungarian-German operatic coloratura soprano who appeared internationally, based first at the Staatsoper Berlin in East Berlin and from 1970 at the Staatstheater Stuttgart. She is remembered as Mozart's Queen of the Night and an ideal Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, but also performed Baroque opera and in the world premiere of Kurt Schwaen's Leonce und Lena.
Jennifer Holloway is an American operatic mezzo-soprano and soprano who has made an international career performing at leading opera houses and festivals. She began as a mezzo-soprano singing roles such as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma, and moved to soprano roles such as Salome and Grete Graumann in Schreker's Der ferne Klang.
Irma Beilke was a German operatic soprano, concert singer and academic voice teacher. A member of the Städtische Oper Berlin for decades, and also a member of the Vienna State Opera, she appeared in leading roles of the coloratura soprano and lyric soprano repertoire at major opera houses and festivals internationally, such as Mozart's Blonde and Verdi's La traviata. She took part in world premieres, including Capriccio by Richard Strauss. In 1945, she appeared in the first opera performance in Berlin after World War II, as Marzelline in Beethoven's Fidelio.
Vera Pearl Little-Augustithis was an American contralto and mezzo-soprano opera singer who belonged to the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin for more than four decades. She performed each of the important mezzo-soprano roles of the repertoire, appearing at major international opera houses and festivals. She took part in world premieres of operas by Hans Werner Henze, in 1965 Der junge Lord in Berlin and in 1966 Die Bassariden at the Salzburg Festival.
Johanna André was a German soprano in opera and concert and a voice teacher. A long-term member of the Braunschweig court theatre, she appeared at major German opera houses, especially in dramatic roles such as Beethoven's Fidelio, and Wagner's Senta, Isolde and Brünnhilde. She took part in the world premiere of Wagner's Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festival.
Ulrike Helzel is a German operatic mezzo-soprano.
Michaela Kaune is a German operatic soprano.
Gaëlle Arquez is a French operatic mezzo-soprano.
Anja Petersen is a German operatic soprano and university lecturer. She works as a soloist in opera and concert, and as a member of the RIAS Kammerchor. She has appeared in world premieres in both opera and concert, including the leading woman role in Arnulf Herrmann's Der Mieter at the Oper Frankfurt in 2017.
