Teyte, Maggie (1888-1976), was an outstanding English soprano. Teyte achieved fame both as an opera and concert singer, winning special acclaim for her performance of French songs. Her soprano voice was fresh and clear and beautifully controlled. Her interpretation of the works of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the French composer Claude Debussy was particularly outstanding. Debussy chose her to sing the role of Melisande in his opera Pelleas et Melisande in a 1908 production.
Maggie Teyte was born on April 17, 1888, in Wolverhampton, England. She studied in London and Paris. She made her concert debut in 1906 and her opera debut in Monte Carlo in 1907. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, Teyte starred in several operettas and musical comedies in England. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1958. Teyte died on May 26, 1976.
