24 Facts About Margaret Harshaw

Margaret Harshaw was an American opera singer and voice teacher who sang for 22 consecutive seasons at the Metropolitan Opera from November 1942 to March 1964.

Margaret Harshaw began her career as a mezzo-soprano in the early 1930s but then began performing roles from the soprano repertoire in 1950.

Margaret Harshaw sang a total of 39 roles in 25 works at the Met and was heard in 40 of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.

Margaret Harshaw was active as a guest artist with major opera houses in Europe and North and South America.

Margaret Harshaw has the distinction of portraying more Wagner roles on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera - altogether 14 - than any other singer in history.

Margaret Harshaw was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a family of Scottish and English descent, Margaret Harshaw had her earliest musical experiences singing in church choirs as a child.

Margaret Harshaw often performed duets with her sister Miriam as well but never seriously contemplated a vocal career during her youth.

Margaret Harshaw proceeded to win a series of vocal competitions in the early 1930s which led to performances in Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Margaret Harshaw made her professional opera debut with the Philadelphia Operatic Society as Azucena in Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore on April 30,1934.

Margaret Harshaw performed in a few more operas with the orchestra the following year, singing Giovanna in Rigoletto, Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria rusticana, and Katisha in The Mikado.

In 1935, Margaret Harshaw won the National Federation of Music Clubs singing competition which gave her a $1,000 cash prize and led to her New York City concert debut on July 21 of that year at Lewisohn Stadium under conductor Jose Iturbi.

Margaret Harshaw appeared frequently at the Worcester Music Festival during the early 1940s.

In 1942, Margaret Harshaw won the Metropolitan Opera's "Auditions of the Air" which led to her debut at that house as the Second Norn in Richard Wagner's Gotterdammerung on November 25,1942 under the baton of Erich Leinsdorf.

Margaret Harshaw made her first foray into the soprano repertoire singing the role of Senta in The Flying Dutchman opposite Paul Schoffler in the title role on November 22,1950.

Margaret Harshaw was committed to the San Francisco Opera between 1944 and 1947, portraying such parts as Amneris, Azucena, Brangane, Fricka, Genevieve, Herodias, La Cieca, Mistress Quickly, Ortrud, Ulrica, and the Nurse in Boris Godunov.

Margaret Harshaw was engaged at the Royal Opera, London from 1953 to 1956 and again in 1960, where she excelled as Brunnhilde in Rudolf Kempe's Ring Cycles.

Margaret Harshaw portrayed the title heroine in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot at the 1964 New York World's Fair.

Margaret Harshaw sang with opera companies in Cincinnati, New Orleans, San Antonio, Pittsburgh, Houston, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Margaret Harshaw made several Latin American tours and was a soloist with many of the major American orchestras.

In 1962, Margaret Harshaw joined the voice faculty at Indiana University, where she taught until 1993, becoming a Distinguished Professor of Voice.

Margaret Harshaw sang Kundry in four performances of Wagner's Parsifal on March 15,1964, March 19 and March 22,1967, and March 31,1968.

Margaret Harshaw served on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music from 1970 to 1976, when the then opera department for which she primarily taught there was dissolved.

Margaret Harshaw was married to Oskar Eichna, who died on September 23,1992.

Margaret Harshaw died on November 7,1997 at the age of 88 in Libertyville, Illinois.