Opera Singer. A coloratura soprano who performed the full repertoire of her range, she is best remembered for singing the works of Mozart and Richard Strauss. Following study at the Darmstadt College of Music, and winning a 1947 radio competition, she made her professional debut as Philine in Ambrose Thomas' "Mignon" at Kaiserslauten in 1948. After gaining experience at the National Theatre of Karlsruhe between 1950 and 1953, Koth made her debut with the Munich State Opera (where she remained until her 1978 retirement) in 1953, and bowed with the Vienna State Opera the same season. Over the years she sang at, in addition to her 'home' houses, London's Covent Garden, La Scala Milano, Rome, Berlin, Paris, Hamburg, Budapest, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. She also was seen several times at both the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals, with her one Wagnerian part being the Wood Bird from "Siegfried". Her signature pieces were to be The Queen of the Night from Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Zerlina from the same composer's "Don Giovanni", and Zerbinetta from Strauss' "Ariadne Auf Naxos"; in addition she was Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto", both Mimi and Musetta from Puccini's "La Boheme", Sophie in Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", and the title lead of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Besides singing opera, Koth was a noted recitalist; after giving her final performance (as Mimi) at Munich in 1978, she taught at the Cologne and Mannheim Music Colleges. Today, the Erika Koth International Voice Competition carries her name, and a significant portion of her recorded legacy, including complete performance DVDs (in German translation) of "Don Giovanni" and "The Barber of Seville", is available.
Opera Singer. A coloratura soprano who performed the full repertoire of her range, she is best remembered for singing the works of Mozart and Richard Strauss. Following study at the Darmstadt College of Music, and winning a 1947 radio competition, she made her professional debut as Philine in Ambrose Thomas' "Mignon" at Kaiserslauten in 1948. After gaining experience at the National Theatre of Karlsruhe between 1950 and 1953, Koth made her debut with the Munich State Opera (where she remained until her 1978 retirement) in 1953, and bowed with the Vienna State Opera the same season. Over the years she sang at, in addition to her 'home' houses, London's Covent Garden, La Scala Milano, Rome, Berlin, Paris, Hamburg, Budapest, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. She also was seen several times at both the Salzburg and Bayreuth Festivals, with her one Wagnerian part being the Wood Bird from "Siegfried". Her signature pieces were to be The Queen of the Night from Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Zerlina from the same composer's "Don Giovanni", and Zerbinetta from Strauss' "Ariadne Auf Naxos"; in addition she was Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto", both Mimi and Musetta from Puccini's "La Boheme", Sophie in Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", and the title lead of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor". Besides singing opera, Koth was a noted recitalist; after giving her final performance (as Mimi) at Munich in 1978, she taught at the Cologne and Mannheim Music Colleges. Today, the Erika Koth International Voice Competition carries her name, and a significant portion of her recorded legacy, including complete performance DVDs (in German translation) of "Don Giovanni" and "The Barber of Seville", is available.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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