1. Eleanor Steber was born in Wheeling, West Virginia on July 17,1914.
15 Facts About Eleanor Steber
1. 2.
Eleanor Steber was the daughter of William Charles Steber, Sr.
3.
Eleanor Steber made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1940 and was one of its leading artists through 1961.
4.
Eleanor Steber was known for her large, flexible silvery voice, particularly in the high-lying soprano roles of Richard Strauss.
5.
Eleanor Steber was equally well known for her lyrical portrayals of Mozart's heroines, many in collaboration with conductors Kurt Adler, Bruno Walter.
6.
Eleanor Steber was noted for success in the music of Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Alban Berg, Giacomo Puccini and in French opera.
7.
Eleanor Steber sang the lead in the world premiere of the American opera Vanessa by Samuel Barber.
8.
Eleanor Steber was featured in a number of Metropolitan Opera premieres, including Strauss's Arabella, Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, and Berg's Wozzeck.
9.
Eleanor Steber sang with Arturo Toscanini in his 1944 NBC Symphony broadcast of Beethoven's Fidelio.
10.
Beyond the opera, Eleanor Steber was popular with radio and television audiences in frequent appearances on The Voice of Firestone, The Bell Telephone Hour and other programs.
11.
Eleanor Steber's extensive recording output included many popular ballads and operetta tunes in addition to arias, art songs and complete operas.
12.
Eleanor Steber established the Eleanor Steber Vocal Foundation with an annual contest to assist young singers in launching their careers.
13.
Eleanor Steber's papers are held by Houghton Library at Harvard University.
14.
Eleanor Steber had three stepchildren: Marsha Andrews, an opera singer who studied with her at the Cleveland Institute of Music and in New York and who sang at the Metropolitan Opera for 12 seasons as an extra chorister; Gordon Andrews Jr.
15.
Eleanor Steber died on October 3,1990, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, following heart valve surgery and is interred at Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling, West Virginia.