Ferrier, Kathleen (1912-1953), was an English contralto who sang opera, oratorio, and lieder (German art songs) with equal distinction. The tone of her voice was extremely rich and mellow, and she sang with superbly restrained artistry. She made her stage debut in the title role in the premiere of the English composer Benjamin Britten‘s opera The Rape of Lucretia in 1946. Previously, she earned an international reputation as a concert singer. She was particularly praised for her singing of the Bohemian-born composer Gustav Mahler‘s symphonic song cycle The Song of the Earth and the German composer Johannes Brahms‘s Four Serious Songs, as well as vocal music composed by Edward Elgar of the United Kingdom and Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Christoph Willibald Gluck of Germany.
Kathleen Mary Ferrier was born on April 22, 1912, in Higher Walton, Lancashire. She intended to become a pianist and did not turn to singing until she won a vocal contest in 1937. Ferrier died on Oct. 8, 1953.
