Mary Curtis Verna

Mary Virginia Curtis Verna (May 9, 1921 – December 4, 2009) was an American operatic soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, she studied at Abbot Academy and Hollins College, and later in Italy with Ettore Verna, whom she married.[1][2]

She made her stage debut at the Teatro Lirico in Milan, as Desdemona, in 1949. She sang widely in Italy, as Maria Curtis Verna, and made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera and the Munich State Opera.

Verna made her American debut at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia with the Philadelphia Civic Grand Opera Company on May 14, 1952 in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida with Ramón Vinay as Radamès, Claramae Turner as Amneris, and Giuseppe Bamboschek conducting. Later that year she portrayed the same role for he debut at the San Francisco Opera. She made her debut at the New York City Opera, as Donna Anna, in 1954, and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1957, as Leonora in Il Trovatore. Her other roles at the Met included Aida, Leonora (La forza del destino), Elisabetta (Don Carlo), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Tosca and Turandot.

She appeared in Cincinnati and Baltimore, and at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. She became well-known and acclaimed at the Metropolitan in the 1950s and '60s for stepping into roles for indisposed divas often on only a few hours notice.[3]

Verna made several commercial recordings, including Aida for Remington, and for Cetra Records a solo album of Italian arias, Don Giovanni, Un ballo in maschera, and Aida. For the Metropolitan Opera Record Club (issued by the Book-of-the-Month Club) she recorded Il Trovatore and Andrea Chenier. Several live recordings were made including Tosca, Don Carlo, and two recordings of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, Macbeth in Cincinnati, and La Gioconda in Philadelphia.

Verna left the Metropolitan Opera in 1966, and her final appearance was in the gala closing night of the 39th Street house. In 1969, she was offered and accepted the position of Head of the Voice Department at the University of Washington School of Music. She retired from the University of Washington in 1991.[2]

Verna died at her home in Seattle, Washington on December 4, 2009 at the age of 88.[3]