Lily Pons
Lily Pons ( born April 12, 1898 in Draguignan near Cannes, † February 13, 1976 in Dallas, actually Alice - Josephine Pons ) was a French, American opera singer later ( coloratura soprano).
Life
Lily Pons was born in 1898 in southern France Draguignan and first began training as a concert pianist before she moved to the singing part. After performances at the Théâtre des Variétés in Paris and on the French provincial theaters she made her debut in 1927 as Lakmé in the eponymous opera by Léo Delibes at the Stadttheater Mulhouse. In 1930 she came to America, where she served as Lucia di Lammermoor debuted a year later in the eponymous opera by Donizetti at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Lily Pons remained the Met for 30 years until 1961 connected and appeared in 280 performances. She also gave guest performances at numerous opera stages around the world. Particular attention was her coloratura singing. In 1972, she was a highly acclaimed recital at the Philharmonie of the Lincoln Centre.
In the 1930s she starred in several Hollywood films for RKO mediocre in an attempt to build it up as a response to Grace Moore. In Hitting a New High, she had even as Oogahunga, the Bird -Girl occur. Since 1938, Lily Pons was married to the American conductor André Kostelanetz.
Marlene Dietrich confirmed that Lily Pons except her occurred during World War II as the only singer in the French front against the German occupying power.
Lily Pons died in 1976 in Dallas and found in the Cimetière du Grand Jas in Cannes their final resting place.
In Maryland there in her honor the city Lilypons.