Blanche Thebom was an accomplished American operatic mezzo-soprano, opera director, and voice instructor. Blanche Thebom and Elizabeth Appling co-founded the San Francisco Girls Chorus’ Opera Arts Training Program.
Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Blanche Thebom |
|---|---|
| Born Date: | 19 Sep 1915 |
| Age: | 106 years |
| Horoscope: | Virgo |
| Lucky Number: | 8 |
| Lucky Stone: | Sapphire |
| Lucky Color: | Green |
| Best Match for Marriage: | Taurus, Capricorn |
| Death Date: | September 19, 1915 |
| Gender: | Female |
| Profession: | Operatic Mezzo-soprano, Voice Teacher, Opera Director, Co-founder of the Opera Arts Training Program |
| Country: | USA |
| Height: | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70m) |
| Marital Status: | divorce |
| Divorce | Richard Metz |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Body Size | 36-24-35 inches |
| Birth Place | Monessen, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Swedish |
Blanche Thebom Biography
Blanche Thebom was born September 19, 1915. Her birthplace was Monessen, Pennsylvania, and her zodiac sign was Virgo. When it comes to her family, this personality’s parents were Swedish immigrants to the United States.
The year of birth of this personality is sometimes incorrectly given as 1918. She also grew up in Canton, Ohio. She studied ballet and sang in her church’s choir while she was there. This personality continued to take ballet lessons well into her forties.
Blanche Thebom Death
She was 94 years old when she died on March 23, 2010. Her exact cause of death, however, is unknown. However, she could have died as a result of aging.
Blanche Thebom Height, Weight
Blanche Thebom stood at an approximate height of 5 feet 7 inches or 170 cm. Likewise, her weight was around 54 kgs or 119 lbs. Thebom had a chest-waist-hip measurement of 36-24-35 inches respectively. Moreover, this opera singer had brown eyes and long hair of the same color that turned grey with aging.
Career
Blanche Thebom worked as an operatic mezzo-soprano, voice teacher, and opera director. This well-known figure was a member of the first wave of American opera singers. As a result, she had a thriving international career.
Furthermore, this individual had a long association with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The opera ran for 22 years. This performer had a diverse repertoire that ranged from Handel and Mozart to Verdi and Debussy. Aside from that, Thebom was best known for her performances in Richard Wagner’s operas.
The two Wagner roles with which this personality was particularly associated were Fricka in Die Walküre and Brangaene in Tristan und Isolde. Notably, this singer sang the latter role in a well-known London recording made in 1952. Kirsten Flagstad, Ludwig Suthaus, and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler collaborated on this recording.
In addition to several other recordings, the singer appeared in two feature films during her career. Irish Eyes Are Smiling, released in 1944, and The Great Caruso, released in 1951, were the two feature films. This singer collaborated with Mario Lanza on the latter.
In 1967, she announced her retirement from the stage. Following that, for six years, this individual worked as an opera director in Atlanta. She went on to teach singing privately as well as on the music faculties of the University of Arkansas and San Francisco State University. This individual was also a co-founder of the San Francisco Girls Chorus’ Opera Arts Training Program.
In addition, for nearly four decades, Thebom served on the board of the Metropolitan Opera. Similarly, she served as the Pacific Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions chair for 15 years.
Thebom graduated from business school and worked as a secretary in an industrial firm. Furthermore, she was still working as a secretary in 1938. That year, this personality traveled to Sweden with her parents. Kosti Vehane, a pianist, overheard this personality singing in the ship’s lounge while sailing from America to Europe. Marian Anderson’s regular accompanist and vocal coach was the pianist. As a result, the pianist was blown away by the singer’s talent.
Following that, the pianist arranged for this individual to study with Giuseppe Boghetti in New York. Marian Anderson’s voice teacher was Boghetti. Furthermore, the pianist was eventually able to sign this singer with talent manager Sol Hurok. Anderson’s career was also managed by this manager. Following the death of her teacher, Boghetti, in July 1941, the singer studied with retired Metropolitan Opera mezzo-sopranos Edyth Walker and Margarete Matzenauer.
Blanche Thebom Net Worth
Moving on, at the time of her death, this operatic mezzo-soprano was estimated to have a net worth of around $1.5 million US dollars.
Blanche Thebom Husband, Marriage
Blanche Thebom had recently divorced when she died. She was previously married to Richard Metz. However, there are no specifics about her marriage and divorce dates. Despite this, the ex-couple got married in 1951. Following that, the ex-couple honeymooned in Iceland as part of the singer’s European tour. However, this well-known operatic mezzo-soprano died on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. At the time of her death, she had no living relatives. This shows that Thebom didn’t have any children throughout her life.
