Virginia Zeani was a Romanian-born opera singer who sang leading soprano roles in the opera houses of Europe and North America best known for her role in Poulenc’s ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites’ at La Scala in 1957. Zeani became interested in singing at an early age sighting a performance of Madama Butterfly as her inspiration to become an opera singer. At 13 she began studying singing in Bucharest with Lucia Anghel; a mezzo-soprano. She also studied with Lydia Lipkowska during World War II. Afte... moreVirginia Zeani was a Romanian-born opera singer who sang leading soprano roles in the opera houses of Europe and North America best known for her role in Poulenc’s ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites’ at La Scala in 1957. Zeani became interested in singing at an early age sighting a performance of Madama Butterfly as her inspiration to become an opera singer. At 13 she began studying singing in Bucharest with Lucia Anghel; a mezzo-soprano. She also studied with Lydia Lipkowska during World War II. After years of coaching, Zeani made her debut in 1948 as Violetta in La traviata at the Teatro Duse in Bologna as a last-minute replacement for Margherita Carosio. She sang 69 roles in the course of her career and enjoyed success in her home country and the United States. Zeani settled in the United States after her retirement in 1980, where she had been offered teaching positions at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. She was a recipient of numerous awards like the Indiana University's President's Medal for Excellence in 2012 and received Lifetime Achievement Award.
