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Eileen FarrellAmerican opera singer, soprano
Date of Birth: 13.02.1920
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Eileen Farrell
- Early Life
- Early Training
- Career
- Eileen Farrell passed away in March 2002 at the age of 82.
Biography of Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell was an American opera singer and soprano. Throughout her nearly 60-year career, she actively performed both classical and popular compositions in concerts, theaters, radio, and television. While she was a talented opera singer, Farrell gained fame not only for her theatrical roles but also for her numerous concerts. She primarily performed in the United States but also regularly toured abroad. According to The Daily Telegraph, she was one of the most outstanding American sopranos of the 20th century, known for her incredibly expressive and artistic voice.
Early Life
Eileen Farrell was born in Willimantic, Connecticut, and was the youngest of four children of Irish-American Catholic parents Michael and Catherine Farrell. Music was somewhat of a family profession for Farrell as her parents were vaudeville singers who performed under the name "The Singing O'Farrells." Her childhood was spent traveling, mainly within Connecticut. Farrell recalls her earliest memories being from her life in Storrs, where her parents taught music and drama at a local agricultural college. When she was five years old, her parents moved her to Willimantic, where she stayed for only a year. Farrell spent the next ten years with her parents in Norwich.
Early Training
Farrell's first vocal lessons came from her parents, with her mother being her main mentor. Her mother had an exceptional coloratura soprano voice, and her father also assisted as a decent baritone. After finishing school, Farrell moved to New York City, where she studied under former Metropolitan Opera singer Merle Alcock. In addition to vocal courses, she took speech and language lessons from Charlie Baker, the musical director of Rutgers Presbyterian Church. After a few months of training, Baker hired Farrell as one of the regular singers in the church. Farrell continued to study with Baker for a long time, even after she had established herself as a professional radio performer. In her autobiography, "Can't Help Singing: The Life of Eileen Farrell," she stated that Baker provided significant support during the early years of her radio career. Farrell's third mentor was opera teacher Eleanor McClellan.
Career
Farrell began performing in 1940 as a member of the CBS radio chorus. In 1941, the radio station offered her the opportunity to host her own program, "Eileen Farrell Sings." For five years, she performed the best classical and popular music in this program. In 1947, Farrell started giving concert performances, and nine years later, she made her debut on the opera stage. The peak of her career was from 1960 to 1966 when she performed at the Metropolitan Opera for five consecutive years.
Farrell continued to delight audiences for two more decades. In 1986, she announced her retirement, but she periodically returned to the stage. Alongside her singing career, Farrell also taught vocal mastery privately and at Indiana University.
