Josephine De Reszke Polish soprano singer Date of Birth: 04.06.1855 Country: Poland

1. Biography of Josephine de Reszke
2. Professional Career
3. Collaboration with Jean de Reszke
4. Marriage and Later Life

Biography of Josephine de Reszke

Josephine de Reszke, a Polish soprano singer, was born on June 4, 1855, in Warsaw, Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire. She was the youngest sister of the famous opera artists, bassist Edouard de Reszke and tenor Jean de Reszke, who shone in their time at the Paris Opera, Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera. Josephine began her music education under the guidance of her mother and studied with Madame Nissen-Salomon before becoming a student at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory.

Professional Career

Josephine officially debuted on June 21, 1875, in Paris, portraying the character of Ophelia in Ambroise Thomas' opera "Hamlet." However, she had already appeared on the professional opera stage in Venice the year before, performing in Antonio Carlos Gomes' opera "Il Guarany." Over the years, she established a reputation as a brilliant performer of operatic works by Italian and French composers. In 1877, Josephine had the opportunity to become the first performer of the role of Sita in the premiere of Jules Massenet's opera "Le roi de Lahore." She declined an offer to perform in the United States and remained in Europe until the end of her career, appearing in the best opera houses in Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, and London.

Collaboration with Jean de Reszke

Josephine often performed alongside her brother Jean during his debut. Both of them, along with their brother Edouard, participated in the Paris premiere of Massenet's opera "Hérodiade" in 1884.

Marriage and Later Life

In the peak of her career, in 1885, Josephine de Reszke married Baron Leopold Kronenberg, a wealthy Polish banker. After her marriage, she practically retired from the stage and only performed at charitable events. As a token of appreciation, she received a diamond as a gift from the city of Poznań. Josephine became a mother for the first time in 1889, giving birth to her daughter Baroness Josephine Rosa Kronenberg. In 1891, she gave birth to her son Baron Leopold Kronenberg Jr., but unfortunately, she passed away during childbirth. Josephine de Reszke died on February 22, 1891, and was buried in the family mausoleum at the Powązki Cemetery. Her husband was later laid to rest there in 1937.