About Me
Julia Varady was born on September 1, 1941 in Oradea, Romania. She started her music studies at the age of six and began vocal studies at age fourteen. She made her professional debut in 1962 as a mezzo-soprano singing the title role in Gluck's "Orfeo." She later transitioned to the soprano repertoire, but her voice retained a rich, full lower register and an ample chest voice. In 1971, she debuted at Munich in the treacherously difficult role of Vitellia, in Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito." The role is known for its wide range, from a low G to a high D-flat. Audiences and critics were impressed by her ability to encompass this large range with such finesse, and her strong dramatic instincts made quite the impression. Varady would go on to sing most of the important Mozart roles: Anna and Elvira in "Don Giovanni", Elettra in "Idomeneo", Fiordiligi in "Cosi Fan Tutte", as well as the three principal female roles in "Le Nozze di Figaro." Her wide range and warmly lyric, yet powerful voice allowed to build a diverse repertoire. She was acclaimed as Wagner's Senta and Sieglinde, Puccini's Cio-Cio San in "Madama Butterfly" and as Strauss's "Arabella." Among her other roles were Judith in Bartok's "Bluebeard's Castle", Santuzza in Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana", Adele is Rossini's "La Comte Ory", as well as the title role in his "La Cenerentola." In 1978, she created the role of Cordelia in Reimann's adaptation of "King Lear", with her husband, celebrated baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in the title role. On top of this, she was a noted interpreter of Verdi. She sang Violetta in "La Traviata", Leonora in both "Il Trovatore" and "La Forza del Destino", Elisabetta in "Don Carlo", Alice Ford in "Falstaff", Odabella in "Attila", Amelia in "Un Ballo in Maschera", as well as Desdemona in "Otello" and the fearsome voice-wreaking role of Abigaille in "Nabucco", two of her most celebrated roles. In 1996, Julia Varady retired from the stage and continued to perform in concert until 2001, when she retired from singing altogether. She is currently engaged in teaching, enlightening a new generation of singers with her wisdom and experience.
