Skip to Main Content

Singers' and Choral Directors' Bible

Resources for the classical singer, including how to find repertoire, translations, pronunciations, and pedagogical works. Choral music resources also are included.

Listening to other Singers

Why seek out and listen to other singers?

It will make you a better singer:

  • It will help your diction and pronunciation to listen to singers singing in their native language
  • It will help you develop a better and more nuanced ear
  • It will help deepen your knowledge of the repertoire

It is good to listen to historic recordings (you now have access to over a century of interpretation!) Listening to the styles of different eras will help you understand how a piece has changed over time and help you make informed decisions about your own performance choices.

Below are lists of (primarily) opera singers, organized by voice type, and divided by language/country of origin. 

Explore your own voice type (or others) -- who you can find in Naxos?

Singers by Voice Type and Nationality

American:

Nicole Cabell (1977-)

Eileen Farrell (1920-2002)

Renee Fleming (1959-)

Christine Goerke (1969-)

Sylvia McNair (1956-)

Anna Moffo (1932-2006)

Jessye Norman (1945-2019)

Ailyn Pérez (1979-)

Rosa Ponselle (1897-1981)

Leontyne Price (1927-)

Patricia Lynn Racette (1965-)

Sondra Radvanovsky (1969-)

Beverly Sills (1929-2007)

Eleanor Steber (1914-1990)

Helen Traubel (1899-1972)

Dawn Upshaw (1960-)

Benita Valente (1934-)

Carol Vaness (1960-)

Deborah Voigt (1960-)

Linda Watson (1956-)

 

English/English-Speaking:

Measha Brueggergosman (1977-)

Sarah Connolly (1963-)

Danielle de Niese (1979-)

Jane Eaglen (1960-)

Elizabeth Harwood (1938-1990)

Felicty Lott (1947-)

Nellie Melba (1861-1931)

Kate Royal (1979-)

Teresa Stratas (1938-)

Joan Sutherland (Australia) (1926-2010)

Pretty Yende (South Africa) (1985-)

 

German:

Juliane Banse (1969-)

Hildegard Behrens (1937-2009)

Erna Berger (1900-1990)

Diana Damrau (1979-)

Johanna Gadski (1870/2-1932)

Frieda Hempel (1885-1955)

Gundula Janowitz (1937-)

Frida Leider (1888-1975)

Lotte Lehmann (1888-1976)

Elisabeth Rethberg (1894-1976)

Anneliese Rothenberger (1919-2010)

Leonie Rysanek (1926-1998)

Christine Schäfer (1965-)

Anna Eugenie Schoen-Rene (1864-1942)

Elisabeth Schumann (1888-1952)

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (1915-2006)

Irmgard Seefried (1919-1988)

 

Italian:

Licia Albanese (1909-2014)

Daniela Dessì (1957-2016)

Mariella Devia (1948-)

Farinelli (1705-1782) (castrato)

Mirella Freni (1935-2020)

Barbara Frittoli (1967-)

Amelita Gallil-Curci (1882-1963)

Cecilia Gasdia (1960-)

Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922) (only castrato with surviving recordings)

Claudia Muzio (1889-1936)

Giuditta Pasta (1797-1865)

Adelina Patti (1843-1919)

Katia Ricciarelli (1946-)

Graziella Sciutti (1927-2001)

Renata Scotto (1934-)

Renata Tebaldi (1922-2004)

Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1940)

 

French/French-Speaking:

Pierrett Alarie (Canada) (1921-2011)

Regine Crespin (1927-2007)

Suzanne Danco (Belgium) (1911-2000)

Natalie Dessay (1965-)

Véronique Gens (1966-)

Mady Mesplé (1931-2020)

Lily Pons (1898-1976)

Mado Robin (1918-1960)

 

Spanish/Spanish-Speaking:

Montserrat Caballé (1933-2018)

Gloria del Paraguay (Gloria Criscione Pineda) (Paraguay)

Isabel Rey (1966-)

 

Other Nationalities:

Ying Fang (China) (1987-)

Edita Gruberova (Slovakia) (1946-2021)

Julia Lezhneva (Russia) (1989-)

Karita Mattila (Finland) (1960-)

Hyesang Park (South Korea) (1988-)

Galina Vishnevskaya (Russia) (1926-2012)

American:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Jamie Barton (1981-)

Stephanie Blythe (1970-)

Michelle DeYoung (1968-)

Joyce DiDonato (1969-)

Susan Graham (1960-)

Denyce Graves (1964-)

Marilyn Horne (1934-)

Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson (1954-2006)

Kelley O'Connor

Irene Roberts (1983-)

Risë Stevens (1913-2013)

Shirley Verrett (1931-2010)

Frederica Von Stade (1945-)

Dolora Zajick (1952-)

Contralto:

Merle Alcock (1884-1975)

Marian Anderson (1897-1993)

Etta Moten Barnett (1901-2004)

Carol Brice (1918-1985)

Carol Smith (1926-2021)

 

English/English-Speaking:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Janet Baker (1933-)

Della Jones

Ann Murray (1949-)

Felicity Palmer (1944-)

Contralto:

Alfred Deller (1912-1979) Countertenor

Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953)

Maureen Forrester (1930-2010)

Portia White (1911-1968) Canadian

 

German:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Brigitte Fassbaender (1939-)

Angelika Kirchschlager (1965-)

Erika Köth (1925-1989)

Lilli Lehmann (1848-1929)

Lotte Lenya (1898-1981)

Christa Ludwig (1928-2021)

Waltraud Meier (1956-)

Violeta Urmana (1961-)

Iris Vermillion (1960-)

Contralto:

Sigrid Onégin (1889-1943)

Ute Lemper (1963-)

Andreas Scholl (1967-) (Countertenor)

Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861-1936)

 

Italian:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Fedora Barbieri (1920-2003)

Cecilia Bartoli (1966-)

Fiorenza Cossotto (1935-)

Giulietta Simionato (1910-2010)

Ebe Stignani (1902-1974)

Contralto:

Bernadette Manca di Nissa (1954-)

Sara Mingardo (1961-)

 

French/French-Speaking:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Rita Gorr (Belgium) (1926-2012)

Janice Taylor (Canada) (1946-)

Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910)

Contralto:

Maureen Forrester (Canada) (1930-2010)

Philippe Jaroussky (1978-) (countertenor)

Édith Piaf (1915-1963)

Nathalie Stutzmann (1965-)

 

Spanish / Spanish-Speaking:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Daniela Mack (Argentina) (1982-)

Contralto:

 

 

Other Nationalities:

Mezzo-Soprano:

Elina Garanča (Latvia) (1976-)

Magdalena Kožená (Czech Republic) (1973-)

Contralto:

Ewa Podleś (Poland) (1952-)

American:

Lawrence Brownlee (1972-)

James King (1925-2005)

Mario Lanza (1921-1959)

James McCracken (1926-1988)

Jan Peerce (1904-1984)

Matthew Polenzani (1968-)

Limmie Pulliam (1976-)

Richard Tucker (1913-1975)

 

English/English-Speaking:

Kim Begley (1955-)

Ian Bostridge (1964-)

Ben Heppner (1956-)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson (1940-2010)

Philip Langridge (1939-2010)

Richard Margison (1953-)

Peter Pears (1910-1986)

Jon Vickers (Canada) (1926-2015)

Sunnyboy Dladla (South Africa)

 

German:

Hans-Peter Blochwitz (1949-)

Jonas Kaufmann (1969-)

Rene Kollo (1937-)

Rudolf Johann Schock (1915-1986)

Peter Schreier (1935-2019)

Leo Slezak (1873-1946)

Wolfgang Windgassen (1914-1974)

Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966)

 

Italian:

Carlo Bergonzi (1924-2014)

Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

Franco Corelli (1921-2003)

Mario del Monaco (1915-1982)

Giuseppe Di Stefano (1921-2008)

Beniamino Gigli (1890-1957)

Salvatore Licitra (1968-2011)

Giovanni Martinelli (1885-1969)

Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

Tito Schipa (1889-1965)

Cesare Valletti (1922-2000)

 

French/French-Speaking:

Hugues-Adhemar Cuénod (Switzerland) (1902-2010)

Raoul Jobin (Canada) (1906-1974)

Michel Sénéchal (1927-2018)

 

Spanish/Spanish-Speaking:

José Carreras (1946-)

Plácido Domingo (1941-)

Juan Diego Flórez (Peru) (1973-)

Gaston Rivero  (Uruguay) (1978-)

Ramón Vargas (Mexico) (1960-)

Rolando Villazón (Mexico) (1972-)

Ramón Vinay (Chile) (1911-1996)

 

Other Nationalities:

Roberto Alagna (Italy/France) (1963-)

Joseph Calleja (Malta) (1978-)

American:

Babatunde Akinboboye (1984-)

Nathan Gunn (1970-), from South Bend, IN

Thomas Hampson (1955-)

Robert Merrill (1917-2004)

Sherrill Milnes (1935-)

Reginald Smith, Jr. (1988-)

Lawrence Tibbett (1896-1960)

Leonard Warren (1911-1960)

 

English/English-Speaking:

Thomas Allen (1944-)

Simon Keenlyside (1959-)

 

German:

Olaf Bär (1957-)

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012)

Matthias Goerne (1967-)

George Henschel (1850-1934)

Wolfgang Holzmair (1952-)

Hermann Prey (1929-1998)

Eberhard Wächter (1929-1992)

 

Italian:

Giuseppe De Luca (1876-1950)

Titta Ruffo (1877-1953)

 

French/French-Speaking:

Gabriel Bacquier (1924-2020)

Pierre Bernac (1899-1979)

Jacques Herbillon (1936-2003)

Bruno Laplante (Canada) (1938-)

Martial Singher (1904-1990)

Gérard Souzay (1918-2004)

 

Spanish/Spanish-Speaking:

Vicente Sardinero (1937-2002)

Juan Pons (1946-)

 

Other Nationalities:

Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Russia) (1962-2017)

Wang Yun-Peng, also found as "Yunpeng Wang" (China) (1988-)

American:

Bass-Baritone:

James Morris (1947-)

Thomas Stewart (1928-2006)

Norman Treigle (1927-1975)

William Warfield (1920-2002)

Bass:

Richard Bernstein (1966-)

Jerome Hines (1921-2003)

Samuel Ramey (1942-)

 

English/English-Speaking:

Bass-Baritone

Geraint Evans (1922-1992)

George London (1920-1985)

John Relyea (1972-)

Gidon Saks (South Africa) (1960-)

John Shirley-Quirk (1931-2014)

Bryn Terfel (Wales) (1965-)

Bass

Robert Lloyd (1940-)

 

German:

Bass-Baritone:

Walter Berry (1929-2000)

Christian Gerhaher (1969-)

Hans Hotter (1909-2003)

Thomas Quasthoff (1959-)

Bass:

Kurt Boehme (1908-1989)

Gottlob Frick (1906-1994)

Kurt Moll (1938-2017)

René Pape (1964-)

Karl Ridderbusch (1932-1997)

Italian:

Bass-Baritone:

Ruggero Raimondi (1941-)

Bass:

Ferruccio Furlanetto (1949-)

Ezio Pinza (1852-1957)

Cesare Siepi (1923-2010)

 

French/French-Speaking:

Bass-Baritone:

José van Dam (Belgian) (1940-)

Bass:

Marcel Journet (1868-1933)

 

Spanish/Spanish-Speaking:

Bass:

Andrés de Segurola (Spain) (1874-1953)

 

Other Nationalities:

Bass-Baritone

Güneş Gürle (Turkey) (1975-)

Shenyang (China) (1984-)

Bass:

Ildar Abdrazakov (Russia) (1976-)

Dmitry Belosselskiy (Ukraine) (1975-)

Feodor Chaliapin (Russia) (1873-1938)

Mikhail Petrenko (Russia) (1976-)

CONTACT

Email Butler University Libraries
Irwin Library: 317-940-9227
Science Library: 317-940-9937

Like us on FacebookInstagramFollow us on Twitter