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Adelaide PhillippsBritish-born American contralto opera singer.
Date of Birth: 26.10.1833
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Early Life and Career
- European Success
- Return to the United States and Later Career
- Founding of Opera Companies and Retirement
- Vocal Qualities and Legacy
Early Life and Career
Born on October 26, 1833, in Stratford-on-Avon, England, Adelaide Phillips made her stage debut at the tender age of seven. In 1842, she performed at Boston's Tremont Theatre and gained an engagement at the Boston Museum, where she honed her skills for eight years.
European Success
After receiving advice and financial assistance from the renowned Swedish soprano Jenny Lind, Phillips embarked on a European tour in 1852. She studied with Manuel García in London and made her operatic debut in Brescia, Italy, in 1853. She sang in various cities using the stage name Signorina Fillippi.
Return to the United States and Later Career
Phillips returned to the United States in 1855, where she performed in Italian operas under the direction of Max Maretzek. She also traveled to Cuba before making her oratorio debut with the Handel and Haydn Society in 1860. Throughout the 1860s, she returned to Europe and established herself as a successful opera singer, performing in Paris and touring extensively.
Founding of Opera Companies and Retirement
In 1876, Phillips formed the Adelaide Phillipps Opera Company and later joined the Ideal Opera Company in 1879. She retired from the stage in 1881 due to declining health and traveled to Europe for recuperation, but passed away unexpectedly in Carlsbad, Germany, on October 3, 1882.
Vocal Qualities and Legacy
Blessed with a contralto voice with a range of two and a half octaves, Adelaide Phillips excelled in roles such as Rosina, Leonora, and Azucena. Her powerful voice and dramatic abilities left a lasting mark on the opera world, and she is remembered as one of the most celebrated American opera singers of the 19th century.
