Biography

Zinka Milanov was a Croatian soprano who was one of the most famous personalities in opera throughout her career. Specializing in the "spinto" repertoire of Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini, her voice was often described as being powerful and lush with translucent beauty. She was born into a musical family in Zagreb on May 17, 1906. Her father was a bandmaster, her brother was a composer and pianist, and her uncle was also a composer who wrote several songs for her. She sang throughout her childhood and in 1920 she enrolled at the Zagreb Music Academy and studied voice with Milka Ternina, the acclaimed Wagner specialist. One year later, she performed her first recital in her hometown, and in 1927 she performed the part of Leonora in Verdi's Il Travatore as her operatic debut. The following season, she performed the same role in a debut performance with the Dresden Opera. However, her very displeased vocal instructor Ternina also heard this performance and continued working with Milanov on her technique. Later, she also studied with Maria Kostrenčić, Fernando Carpi, and Jacques Stückgold. Over the next six years, she sang as the lead soprano with the Zagreb Opera and performed throughout Europe. In 1936, she performed in a production of Aida conducted by Bruno Walter in Vienna. Walter was so impressed with her voice that he recommended her to Toscanini, who needed a soprano for his performance of the Verdi Requiem for the 1937 Salzburg Festival. Although Toscanini was not initially happy with her phrasing and musicianship, the performance was a success. Three months later in December 1937 she made her New York debut with the Metropolitan Opera, beginning a long association that lasted until 1966 and included 424 performances. Throughout the 1940s, she made several recordings and sang in Buenos Aires, San Francisco, and Chicago, but due to the circumstances of World War II, she didn't return to Europe until her 1950 debut at La Scala. In 1966, she gave her final performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, and gradually transitioned to the life of an educator. Eleven years after her retirement from performing, she joined the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music and fulfilled her sense of duty to pass on her knowledge and artistry. She passed away at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan on May 30, 1989, after suffering a stroke. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi