Lili Chookasian (born August 1, 1921) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contraltoIn music, a contralto is a type of classical female singing voice with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano. The term is used to refer to the deepest female singing voice. The typical contralto range lies between the F below middle C to two Fs above middle C...
of international renown who has appeared with many of the world's major symphony orchestras and
opera houseAn opera house is a theater building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s. She began her career in the 1940s as a concert singer but did not draw wider acclaim until she began singing
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in her late thirties. She arose as one of the world's leading contraltos during the 1960s and 1970s, and notably had a long and celebrated career at the
Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
in New York City from 1962 through 1986. She was admired for her sonorous, focused tone as well as her excellent musicianship. She often chose—against tradition—to sing oratorios from memory.
Early life and concert career:1921-1958
Chookasian was born in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, the youngest of three children to immigrants from
ArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. Her family had immigrated to the United States shortly after the
Armenian GenocideThe Armenian Genocide , also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Calamity , was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
of 1915 which claimed the lives of two of Chookasian's grandparents and several members of her extended family. Chookasian's first language was Armenian, as her parents spoke that language in the home. She only became proficient speaking English through attending school as a child.
Chookasian first became involved with music through singing at local churches and in musical programs at her high school, notably appearing as Buttercup in her school's production of
H.M.S. PinaforeH.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass that Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
. After high school she began studying singing seriously with Philip Manuel with whom she took lessons for almost twenty years. In her late teens she started earning money singing for churches and on the radio. In 1941, at the age of twenty, she married George Gavejian who was a friend of her older brother. They had a very happy marriage that lasted for forty-six years, ending when Gavejian died in 1987. They had several children and eleven grandchildren together.
Chookasian began performing professionally as an
oratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. The oratorio was somewhat modeled after the opera. Their similarities include the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
and concert singer in the 1940s, mostly in Chicago but also occasionally out of town. The biggest triumph of her early concert career was in January 1955 when she was chosen by
Bruno WalterBruno Walter was a German-born conductor and composer. One of the most famous conductors of the 20th century, he was born in Berlin, but moved to several countries between 1933 and 1939, finally settling in the United States in 1939...
as the contralto soloist for Mahler's
Symphony No. 2The Symphony No. 2 in C minor by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would...
with the
Chicago Symphony OrchestraThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
. During this time she was also on the voice faculty at
Northwestern University{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
.
In 1956 Chookasian was diagnosed with
breast cancerBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. There are different types of breast cancer, with different stages , aggressiveness, and genetic makeup. With best treatment, 10-year disease-free survival varies from 98% to 10%...
and her physicians gave her six months to live. With the support of her loved ones she decided to fight the cancer. She underwent a
radical mastectomyRadical mastectomy is a surgical procedure in which the breast, underlying chest muscle , and lymph nodes of the axilla are removed as a treatment for breast cancer....
, which was further complicated by a widespread infection that required three additional surgeries. With continuous medical attention and the support of her family she prevailed and her life slowly returned to normal.
An opera career begins:1959-1961
It wasn't until 1959, at the age of 38, that Chookasian made her first
operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
appearance, making her debut as Adalgisa in
Bellini-People:*A family of Italian painters, the most famous of which is Giovanni Bellini . His father was Jacopo Bellini and his brother was Gentile Bellini .*Filippo Bellini -People:*A family of Italian painters, the most famous of which is Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430–1516). His father was Jacopo...
's
NormaNorma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the Bel canto tradition...
with the Arkansas State Opera (ASO).
Edward McGuireEdward McGuire may refer to:* Eddie McGuire, Australian television personality* Edward McGuire , British composer* Edward McGuire , Irish tennis player from the 1920s...
, founder and stage director of the ASO, offered her the part after soprano Barbara Stevenson, who sang Norma, recommended her. Stevenson gave McGuire a recording of a
MessiahMessiah is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. Composed in the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin on 13 April 1742, Messiah is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature...
that she had sung with Chookasian in Salt Lake City and, after hearing the recording, McGuire knew he wanted Chookasian to sing the part.
Chookasian's debut performance was a resounding success and a recording of that performance was given to conductor
Thomas SchippersThomas Schippers was an American conductor. He was highly-regarded for his work in opera.-Biography:...
by McGuire at the
Festival of Two WorldsThe Festival dei Due Mondi ' is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958...
the following summer. McGuire recalls, "He was astonished by Lili's voice, but he had nothing in mind for her at the time." However, two years later Schippers wanted "that extraordinary Adalgisa from Arkansas" for a concert performance of
ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century.-Biography:...
's
Alexander NevskyAlexander Nevsky is a historical drama film directed by Sergei Eisenstein, in association with Dmitri Vasilyev and a script co-written with Pyotr Pavlenko, who were assigned to ensure Eisenstein did not stray into "formalism" and to facilitate shooting on a reasonable timetable...
with the
New York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
(NYP). However, he could not remember her name and was unable to track her down until a chance meeting with Sheldon Soffer tipped him off that she was working with the
Baltimore Opera CompanyThe Baltimore Opera Company was an opera company in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., based at the Baltimore Lyric Opera House. On March 12, 2009, the 58-year-old opera company announced plans to pursue Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation....
under
Rosa PonselleRosa Ponselle , was an American operatic soprano. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered by music critics to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the past 100 years....
. Chookasian had spent the last year studying under Ponselle and had created her second opera role on stage with the company, Alzucena in Verdi's
Il TrovatoreIl trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez....
in 1960. Schippers contacted Chookasian to come up for an audition, and after hearing her, she was immediately engaged to sing the role of Amelfa Timoferevna for her NYP debut in early 1961.
Shortly after her NYP debut, Chookasian was offered a contract with the
Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
by
Rudolph BingSir Rudolf Bing was an Austrian-born opera impresario. Bing was General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera in New York from 1950 to 1972...
but turned it down because she was afraid it would take too much time away from her family. In the summer of 1961 she repeated the role of Amelfa Timoferevna for European debut at the
Festival dei Due MondiThe Festival dei Due Mondi ' is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958...
, again under the baton of Schippers. She also made her European opera debut at the festival under Schippers as Herodias in
SalomeSalome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde....
. She sang Herodias again just a month later at the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi and also gave a lauded performance of Mahler's
KindertotenliederKindertotenlieder is a song cycle for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The words of the songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert.-Text and music:...
, accompanied by
Charles WadsworthCharles Wadsworth is a classical pianist and musical promoter. In 1960, he gained international renown by originating the Midday Concerts at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. He also started the chamber music concert series at the Spoleto Festival USA, which he directs, performs at and...
at the
Teatro Caio MelissoThe Teatro Caio Melisso is an opera house located in Spoleto, Italy and it serves as the main venue for opera performances during the annual summer Festival dei Due Mondi....
that summer. The following November she headed back to Baltimore to sing her first Amneris in Verdi's
AidaAida is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
.
In the midst of Chookasian's breakout 1961 season she discovered another lump in her other breast. She told no one, fulfilled her commitments in New York, Baltimore, and Europe, and then finally sought a doctor's care in November 1961 after finishing up performance of
Aida. She went through another mastectomy, after which her prognosis was good; the cancer had not spread, and she recovered quickly.
Metropolitan Opera years:1962-1986
After returning to the United States, Chookasian was approached by Rudolph Bing again to join the roster at the Metropolitan Opera. This time she relented and made her debut with the company on March 9, 1962 as La Cieca in
PonchielliAmilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, largely of operas.-Biography:Born in Paderno Fasolaro, now Paderno Ponchielli, near Cremona, Ponchielli won a scholarship at the age of nine to study music at the Milan Conservatory, writing his first symphony by the time he was ten years old.Two years...
's
La GiocondaLa Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835....
with
Zinka MilanovZinka Milanov née Zinka Kunc was a Croatian-born operatic dramatic soprano....
in the title role,
Franco CorelliFranco Corelli was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his thrilling upper register...
as Enzo,
Nell RankinNell Rankin was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. Although a successful opera singer internationally, she spent most of her career at the Metropolitan Opera where she worked from 1951-1976. Rankin was particularly admired for her portrayals of Amneris in Verdi's Aida and the title role in...
as Laura,
Robert MerrillRobert Merrill was an American operatic baritone.-Early life:Merrill was born Morris Miller in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland...
as Barnaba,
Giorgio TozziGiorgio Tozzi was for many years a leading bass with the Metropolitan Opera, and was seen playing lead roles in nearly every major opera house world-wide.- Career :...
as Alvise, and
Fausto ClevaFausto Cleva was an Italian-born American operatic conductor.After studies at the Conservatorio in his native city and Milan, Cleva made his debut conducting La traviata in Carcano, near Milan, before emigrating to the United States in 1920, becoming an American citizen in 1931...
conducting. During the performance
Francis RobinsonProfessor Francis Christopher Rowland Robinson is a British academic who was awarded a CBE in 2006 for his services to higher education and his research into the history of Islam....
, then assistant general manager at the Met, had the house phones hooked up so Rosa Ponselle could hear Chookasian's entrance over the telephone at her home. Ponselle, who had developed a strong personal friendship with Chookasasian as well as being her opera mentor, recalled "It not only brought back such wonderful memories, but it was another Force of Destiny." The audience and the critics responded enthusiastically to her performance.
Paul Henry LangPaul Henry Lang was a Hungarian-American musicologist and music critic....
wrote in his review that "From what we heard last night, we may predict a splendid career for the young lady from Chicago." This was the beginning of a more than two decade long career at the Met, during which time Chookasian was coached privately with Armen Boyajian.
During her 24 year long career with the company, Chookasian sang many principal contralto roles and a number of secondary parts. Her roles included Adalgisa, Amneris in
AidaAida is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
, Auntie in
Peter GrimesPeter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
, Azucena, Death in
Le Rossignol, Erda in
Das RheingoldDas Rheingold is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
and
SiegfriedSiegfried is the third of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner. It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 16 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of The Ring.-Composition:- Roles :- Act 1 :Mime, Alberich's brother, is forging a...
, Filippyevna in
Eugene OneginEugene Onegin, Op. 24, is an opera in 3 acts , by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was written by Konstantin Shilovsky and the composer and his brother Modest, and is based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin.Eugene Onegin is a well-known example of lyric opera; the libretto very...
, the First Norn in
Götterdämmerungis the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen . It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring....
, Frugola in
Il TabarroIl tabarro is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on Didier Gold's La Houppelande. It is the first of the trio of operas known as Il trittico...
, Geneviève in
Pelléas et MélisandePelléas et Mélisande is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique, Paris on 30 April 1902. The French libretto was adapted from the Symbolist play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck...
, Gertrud in
Hänsel und Gretel, the Grandmother in
JenůfaJenůfa is an opera in three acts by Leoš Janáček to a Czech libretto by the composer, based on the play Její pastorkyňa by Gabriela Preissová. It was first performed at the Brno Theater, Brno, 21 January 1904...
, Leocadia Begbick in
Rise and Fall of the City of MahagonnyRise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny is a political-satirical opera composed by Kurt Weill to a German libretto by Bertolt Brecht...
, Madelon from
Andrea ChénierAndrea Chénier is an opera in four acts by the verismo composer Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It is based loosely on the life of the French poet, André Chénier , who was executed during the French Revolution....
, Mamma Lucia in
Cavalleria RusticanaCavalleria rusticana is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a play written by Giovanni Verga based on his short story. Considered one of the classic verismo operas, it premiered on May 17, 1890 at the Teatro...
, Marthe in
FaustFaust is a grand opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, Mary in
Der Fliegende Holländer, Mistress Quickly in
FalstaffFalstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his 26 operas to be a comedy...
, the Nurse in
Boris GodunovBoris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1874 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subject is the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar from 1598 to 1605...
, the Princess in
Suor AngelicaSuor Angelica is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as Il trittico...
, Teresa from
La SonnambulaLa sonnambula is an opera semiseria in two acts, music by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a ballet-pantomime by Eugène Scribe....
, Ulrica in
Un Ballo in MascheraUn ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The opera's first production was at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, 17 February 1859....
, the Witch in
Hänsel und Gretel, and Zita in
Gianni SchicchiGianni Schicchi is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, based on a story that is referred to in Dante's The Divine Comedy. Although the story by Dante is dramatic, Puccini's opera is actually a comedy. It is the third of the trio of operas known as...
among others. She also notably sang the role of Maharanee in the United States premiere of
Gian Carlo MenottiGian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera Amahl and the Night Visitors among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
's
The Last Savage in a cast that included George London,
Nicolai GeddaThe Swedish tenor Nicolai Gedda is a famous opera singer and recitalist. Having made some two hundred recordings, Gedda is said to be the most widely recorded tenor in history...
,
Roberta PetersRoberta Peters is an American coloratura soprano who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera, one of the most durable opera stars of America....
and
Teresa StratasTeresa Stratas, OC , is a retired Canadian operatic soprano.-Early life and career:She was born Anastasia Stratakis to a struggling immigrant Greek family in Toronto, Ontario. At age 13, she performed Greek pop songs on the radio. She graduated from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto...
.
During her career at the Met, Chookasian sang with many great singers like
Carlo BergonziCarlo Bergonzi is an Italian operatic tenor. Although he performed and recorded some bel canto and verismo roles, he is above all associated with the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, including a large number of the composer's lesser-known works that he helped revive...
,
Richard CassillyRichard Cassilly was an American operatic tenor who had a major international opera career between 1954 and 1990...
,
Franco CorelliFranco Corelli was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his thrilling upper register...
,
Phyllis CurtinPhyllis Curtin is an American classical soprano who had an active career in operas and concerts from the early 1950s through the 1980s. She was known for her creation of new roles such as the title role in the Carlisle Floyd opera Susannah, Catherine Earnshaw in Floyd's Wuthering Heights, and in...
,
Mattiwilda DobbsMattiwilda Dobbs is an African-American coloratura soprano and one of the first black singers to enjoy a major international career in opera...
,
William DooleyWilliam Dooley is an American operatic bass-baritone who has sung with many of the world's greatest opera companies. He began his career in Germany in the late 1950s, ultimately becoming a leading performer at the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1962-1964...
,
Plácido DomingoJosé Plácido Domingo Embil , better known as Plácido Domingo, is a Spanish tenor, known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range. In March 2008, he debuted in his 128th opera role, giving Domingo more roles than any other tenor...
,
Reri GristReri Grist is an American coloratura soprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera....
,
Anna MoffoAnna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation...
,
Birgit NilssonBirgit Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic and symphonic works...
,
Leontyne PriceMary Violet Leontyne Price is an American operatic soprano. She was best known for the title role of Verdi's Aida. Born in the segregated Deep South, she rose to international fame during a period of racial change in the 1950s and 60s, and was the first African-American to become a leading prima...
, Gail Robinson,
Leonie RysanekLeopoldine "Leonie" Rysanek was an Austrian dramatic soprano.Rysanek was born in Vienna and made her operatic debut in 1949 in Innsbruck....
,
Joan SutherlandDame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE is an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution in the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
,
Renata TebaldiRenata Tebaldi was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano, popular in the post-war period...
, and
Richard TuckerRichard Tucker was a highly regarded American operatic tenor throughout his career, and is generally considered by vocal-music historians and critics as being the greatest American-born, American-trained tenor of the post-World War Two era.Tucker was born Rivn Ticker in Brooklyn, New York, into a...
among others. In 1984, during a performance of
Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, she suffered a minor heart attack on stage and was unable to continue the performance. After this her performance career slowed down somewhat and her last performance at the Met was on February 17, 1986 as Gertrude in
GounodCharles-François Gounod was a French composer, best known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's
Roméo et JulietteRoméo et Juliette is an opéra in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare...
with
Neil ShicoffNeil Shicoff is an American opera singer known for his lyric tenor singing and his dramatic, emotional acting.- Beginnings :...
as Roméo and
Catherine MalfitanoCatherine Malfitano is an American operatic soprano. She is generally considered to be one of America's leading drammatic sopranos...
as Juliette. Her 290th performance with the company, it was also her farewell to the opera stage.
While the Met was her major home, Chookasian also remained active as a concert performer and sang in opera houses both in the United States and Europe. She quickly became one of the leading contraltos performing on the international stage during the 1960s and 1970s, singing under
Georg SoltiSir Georg Solti, KBE was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He holds the record for having received the most Grammy awards, having personally won 31, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.- Early career :Solti was born György Stern in Budapest to a Jewish family; his...
,
Leonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
,
James LevineJames Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and of the Boston Symphony Orchestra...
,
Zubin MehtaZubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of Western classical music.-Early life:Zubin Mehta was born into a Parsi family in Bombay , India, the son of Mehli and Tehmina Mehta. His father Mehli Mehta was a violinist and founding conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra.Mehta is an alumnus of St. Mary's...
,
Seiji Ozawais a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.-Biography:...
,
Fritz ReinerFrederick Martin “Fritz” Reiner was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century.-Biography:...
,
Karl BöhmKarl August Leopold Böhm was an Austrian conductor.-Biography:Born in Graz, Austria, Böhm studied law and earned a doctorate on this subject. He later studied music at the Graz Conservatory. On the recommendation of Karl Muck, Bruno Walter engaged him at Munich's Bavarian State Opera in 1921...
,
Herbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor and one of the most renowned conductors in music history. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted...
,
Lorin MaazelLorin Varencove Maazel is a conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States...
, and many other great conductors with such ensembles as the
Philadelphia OrchestraThe Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, the
Cleveland OrchestraThe Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
, the
London Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, and the Vienna Philharmonic among others. She was particularly admired worldwide for her performances in Beethoven's
Symphony No. 9The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire and is considered one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces.The symphony was the first example of...
, Mahler's
Das Lied von der ErdeDas Lied von der Erde is a large-scale work for two vocal soloists and orchestra by the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler...
,
SchoenbergSchoenberg is the surname of several persons.* Arnold Schoenberg , Austrian-American composer of 20th Century music* Isaac Jacob Schoenberg , Romanian mathematician...
's
Gurre-LiederThe Gurre-Lieder form a massive oratorio for 5 soloists, narrator, chorus and orchestra, composed by Arnold Schoenberg, on poem texts by Danish novelist Jens Peter Jacobsen...
and above all Verdi's
RequiemThe Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeralMass...
. Of the latter work Chookasian stated, "Every note of the Requiem seemed written for my throat". Under
Eugene OrmandyEugene Ormandy was a Hungarian-born Jewish conductor and violinist.-Biography:Born Jenő Blau in Budapest, Hungary, Ormandy began studying violin at the National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music at the age of five...
she recorded
Das Lied von der Erde for Columbia Masterworks, and she opened the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in August 1966, again with Ormandy. With Leonard Bernstein, she was one of the many soloists in his recording of Mahler's
Symphony No. 8The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler, known as the Symphony of a Thousand, was mostly written in 1906, with its vast orchestration and final touches completed in 1907.-History:...
. Among her many other recordings are Beethoven's
Symphony No. 9 with the New York Philharmonic under Bernstein, the First Norn in
Götterdämmerung with the Berlin Philharmonic under
Herbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor and one of the most renowned conductors in music history. His obituary in The New York Times described him as "probably the world's best-known conductor and one of the most powerful figures in classical music." Karajan conducted...
, and Verdi's
Requiem with the
Boston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays the majority of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the...
under
Erich LeinsdorfErich Leinsdorf was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a reputation for exacting standards as well as an acerbic personality...
to name just a few.
On the opera stage Chookasian returned to the Spoletto Festival in 1962 to sing Clarissa in Prokofieffs
The Love for Three Oranges. In 1963 she made her first of several appearances at the
New York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company and the second largest opera company, after the Metropolitan Opera, in New York City. The company was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
in the title role of Menotti's
The MediumThe Medium is a short two-act dramatic opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. Commissioned by Columbia University, its first performance was there on 8 May 1946. The opera's first professional production was presented on a double bill with Menotti's The Telephone at the Heckscher...
. She made her first appearance at the
Bayreuth festivalThe Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
in 1965 singing in three of her Wagner roles: Mary, the First Norn, and Erda. In 1966 she made her first appearances with the Montreal Opera and the
American Opera SocietyThe American Opera Society was a New York City based musical organization that presented concert and semi-staged performances of operas between 1951 and 1970...
. In 1970 she made her debut with the
San Francisco OperaSan Francisco Opera is the second largest opera company in North America after the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola...
as Mistress Quickly. In 1973 she sang Amneris at the
Palacio de Bellas ArtesPalacio de Bellas Artes is the premier opera house of Mexico City. The building well known for both its extravagant Beaux Arts exterior in imported Italian Carrara white marble and its murals by Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco.The Palacio has two...
in
Mexico CityMexico City is the capital city of Mexico. It is the economic, industrial, and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city, with about 8,836,045 inhabitants in 2008...
and sang Erda in
Siegfried for her debut with the
Lyric Opera of ChicagoLyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
. In 1976 she notably sang in the world premiere of
Thomas PasatieriThomas Pasatieri is an American opera and film composer and pianist.He began composing at age 15 and, as a teenager, studied with Nadia Boulanger...
's
Inés de CastroInês Pérez de Castro was a Galician noblewoman, daughter of Pedro Fernandez de Castro. She is best known as lover and posthumously declared lawful wife of King Peter I of Portugal, and therefore Queen of Portugal.Inês came to Portugal in 1340 as a maid of Infanta Constance of Castile, recently...
and sang Ulrica with the
Philadelphia Lyric Opera CompanyThe Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company was an American opera company located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was active between 1958 and 1974. The company was led by a number of Artistic Directors during its history, beginning with Carlo Moresco. Other notable Artistic Directors include Julius...
. She also appeared with the
Zurich OperaOper Zürich is an opera company based in Zürich, Switzerland. The company gives performances in the Opernhaus Zürich which has been the company’s home for fifty years.-History:...
, the
Salzburg FestivalThe Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, the
New Orleans OperaOpera has long been part of the musical culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. Operas have regularly been performed in the city since the 1790s, and for the majority of the city's history since the early 19th century, New Orleans has had a resident company regularly performing opera in addition to...
, the
Houston Grand OperaHouston Grand Opera was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and Houston cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit and Edward Bing. With a current annual operating budget of $20 million, HGO has grown from a small regional company...
, and other companies in the United States and Europe. Chookasian would often bring her husband with her when she traveled as his work in real estate was flexible enough for him to travel. Chookasian fondly recounted one of her most memorable trips to Yerevan, Armenia in a 1997
Opera NewsOpera News is an American classical music magazine. Published since 1936 by the , located at Lincoln Center, Opera News was initially focused primarily on the Met, particularly the Saturday afternoon live Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts that have been a feature of the company through the last...
interview. Chookasian was invited to the city to perform in two productions mounted in her honor: Amneris in
Aida and the Armenian composer Dikran Chouhajian's opera
Arshag II.
After retiring from the stage in 1986, Chookasian joined the voice faculty at
Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
's
School of MusicThe Yale School of Music is one of the twelve Professional Schools at Yale University. The School offers three graduate degrees: Master of Music , Master of Musical Arts , and Doctor of Musical Arts...
at the invitation of Doris Yarick-Cross. She still teaches at Yale and currently resides in
New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven is the second-largest municipality in Connecticut, after Bridgeport and just ahead of Hartford, with a core population of about 124,000 people. "New Haven" may also refer to the wider Greater New Haven area, which has nearly 600,000 inhabitants in the immediate area...
.
In 2002 she was awarded the university's Sanford Medal.
External links
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