Irma González (8 October 1916–4 December 2008) was a Mexican

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

at the National Opera of Mexico where she performed for almost 40 years. Selected by the opera director Carlos Chávez, she made her debut there in 1941 as Pamina in

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's '' The Magic Flute'' and went on to appear in leading roles in a wide variety of productions. She also gave concerts and recitals and appeared as a guest performer in some 15 countries. González is remembered in particular for appearing as Liù in

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long lin ...

's '' Turandot'', not only in Mexico but in Buenos Aires and Barcelona. She trained many successful opera singers, including

Francisco Araiza José Francisco Araiza Andrade (born 4 October 1950), is a Mexican operatic tenor and lied singer who has sung as soloist in leading concert halls and in leading tenor operatic roles in the major opera houses of Europe and North America during th ...

and Ricardo Bernal.

Biography

Born in Mexico City on 8 October 1916, Irma González was introduced to singing at an early age by her mother who had studied at the National Conservatory. When she was eight, she also attended the conservatory studying music theory and piano under Manuel Ponce, giving her a solid background for developing her voice as it matured under as her voice developed. She was chosen by Chávez to continue her studies under

Serge Koussevitzky Sergei Alexandrovich KoussevitzkyKoussevitzky's original Russian forename is usually transliterated into English as either "Sergei" or "Sergey"; however, he himself adopted the French spelling "Serge", using it in his signature. (SeThe Koussevit ...

at the Berkshire Festival School near Boston. While there, she appeared as Mimi in

's '' La bohème''. She embarked on her career in 1935. Four years later, with Carlos Chávez conducting the

Mexican Symphonic Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra ( es, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, OSN) is the most important symphony orchestra in Mexico. With its origins traced back as 1881, along with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, it is the second-oldest symphony orche ...

, she performed in the Mexican premiere of

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sma ...

's opera suite '' Lulu''. Her official operatic debut was in 1941 when she appeared as Pamina in

's '' The Magic Flute''. In the early 1940s, she also performed in the United States, appearing with the San Francisco Opera and in a concert at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

commemorating Mexico's independence. Other notable appearances included the title role in

's '' Madame Butterfly'', Mimi in Gounod's '' Faust'', and Desdemona in

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

's ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...

''. In 1977, she appeared with the Mexican Opera as Liù in

's '' Turandot''. Her final stage performance was in 1980 as ''Madame Butterfly'' at the

Palacio de Minería The Palace of Mining, also Palace of Mines, ( es, Palacio de Minería) is a building in Mexico City, Mexico, considered to be a fine example of Neoclassical architecture in the Americas. It was designed and built between 1797 and 1813 by Valencia ...

in Mexico City. Over a period of some 50 years, she trained many successful opera singers including

and Ricardo Bernal. Irma González died at her home in Mexico City on 4 December 2008, aged 92.

References

External links

Irma González's discography from Metason
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Irma 1916 births 2008 deaths Singers from Mexico City Mexican operatic sopranos National Conservatory of Music of Mexico alumni