Sophia Scalchi by Sarony

SOFIA SCALCHI
(November 29, 1850 – August 22, 1922)
Italian Contralto/Mezzo
Studied voice with Augusta Boccabadati. In 1866, she made her stage debut in Mantua as Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's " Un Ballo in Maschera ".
At the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on November 5, 1868, she made her London debut as Azucena in "Il trovatore," also by Verdi. She appeared with the Covent Garden company thereafter until 1890, performing most of the standard lower-pitched female operatic roles. These included Urbain, Amneris and Arsarce, among others. Meanwhile, in 1882-83, she toured the United States for the first time, singing on that occasion with Mapleson's company. She did, however, take part in a number of important American premieres, including those of Verdi's last two masterpieces, Otello and Falstaff. She appeared, too, in the initial American productions of Amilcare Ponchielli's La Gioconda and Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier.