Lily Pons

about

Lily Pons (April 12, 1898 – February 13, 1976) was a French-American coloratura soprano. Born Alice Joséphine Pons in Draguignan near Cannes, Pons first studied piano at the Paris Conservatory, winning the First Prize at the age of 15. During World War I, she played piano and sang for soldiers in Paris hospitals. She also sang at receptions in Cannes. In 1925, encouraged by soprano Dyna Beumer, she started taking singing lessons from Alberti de Gorostiaga in Paris. She successfully made her operatic debut in the role of Léo Delibes' Lakmé at Mulhouse in 1928 and went on to sing several coloratura roles in French provincial opera houses. She was discovered by the impresario Giovanni Zenatello, who took her to New York where she auditioned for Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera. On January 3, 1931, the French woman, unknown in the U.S., made an unheralded Met debut as Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Against all odds, her performance received tremendous acclaim. She became a star overnight. She also signed a recording contract with RCA Victor Records. Pons was a principal soprano at the Met for thirty years, appearing 300 times in ten roles from 1931 until 1960. Her most frequent performances were as Lucia (93 performances), Lakmé (50 performances), Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto (49 performances), and Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville (33 performances). Other roles in her repertoire included Olympia in Offenbach's The Tales of

top songs

albums

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Rossini: Barbiere di Siviglia

The Art Of Lily Pons

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Lily Pons - Coloratura Assoluta

Lily Pons

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Airs d'opéra (Collection "Les voix d'or")

Coloratura Assoluta

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A Lily Pons Gala

Coloratura Assoluta (Disk 2 of 2)

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Coloratura Assoluta (Disk 1 of 2)

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100 Christmas Classics

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Coloratura y Canciones

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Female Singers 6: The Definitive Collection Of The 19th Century's Greatest Virtuosos (pre-1940 Vintage Record)

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