Roberta Peters

Roberta Peters (May 4, 1930 – January 18, 2017) is an American soprano. She had a long and successful career at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She was particularly associated with light coloratura roles in Italian, French and German operas. 

Life and career

Born Roberta Peterman in New York City, she began vocal study at the age of 13 with William Herman, encouraged by tenor Jan Peerce, a family friend. 

She made her unscheduled debut (as an emergency replacement) at the Metropolitan Opera, on November 17, 1950, as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, aged only 20 and having no previous stage experience. The success was immediate. Her well schooled voice, good looks and charming personality quickly made her a great favorite of this theatre where she was to sing regularly for 35 seasons.

Some of her most performed roles include; Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Despina (Cosi fan tutte), The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute),  Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Adina (L'elisir d'amore), Norina (Don Pasquale), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Gilda (Rigoletto), Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), Nanetta (Falstaff), Olympia (Les contes d'Hoffmann), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), etc.

She also appeared abroad, notably at the Royal Opera House in London in 1951, as Arline in The Bohemian Girl, and later appeared at the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Bolshoi in Moscow. She also made several appearances on television, notably on The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Roberta Peters retired from the stage in 1985, but continued to give recital until recent years. She was briefly married to baritone Robert Merrill.

Peters died from Parkinson's disease on January 18, 2017 in Rye, New York. She was 86.

References

 The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton, Simon & Schuster, 1987.

Category:1930 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:American opera singers
Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease
Category:Disease-related deaths in New York (state)
Category:Singers from New York City
Category:American sopranos