Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi
Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi | |
|---|---|
 Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi, from a 1908 publication | |
| Born | Craiova, Romania |
| Died | July 28, 1941 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Other names | Aurelia Chițu |
| Occupation(s) | Opera singer, voice teacher |
| Spouse | Vittorio Arimondi |
| Relatives | Gheorghe Chițu (uncle) |
Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi (1860s – July 28, 1941) was a Romanian-born opera singer and voice teacher in New York City and Chicago.
Early life and education
[edit]Kitzu was born in Craiova, Romania (some sources say Bucharest).[1] Lawyer and politician Gheorghe Chițu was her uncle; her sister was educator Marie Kitzu Arnold.[2] She trained as a singer at the Royal Conservatory Giuseppe Verde.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Kitzu, a mezzo-soprano, sang in many European cities,[5] especially at La Scala in Milan,[3] and Covent Garden in London.[6] She toured in South America in the 1890s, appearing at the Teatro Solís with José Oxilia.[7] She made her New York debut in 1895, as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana.[8] She sang at the Metropolitan Opera House[9] and taught singing in New York City in the 1900s.[3] "Madame Arimondi has the grace and culture of a true cosmopolitan," reported the Musical Courier in 1908.[3]
Arimondi and her husband Vittorio Arimondi taught in Chicago in after 1916.[10][11] The Arimondis also produced a series of musicales featuring their students.[12][13] In 1925 they joined the faculty of the Chicago Musical College.[14]
Personal life
[edit]
Kitzu met Italian opera singer Vittorio Arimondi in South America; they married in 1896.[15] They moved to Chicago in 1910. The Arimondis were featured on the cover of The Musical Leader in 1922, billed as "among the most successful teachers and artists of America."[16] Her husband died in 1928,[17] and she died in 1941, probably in her seventies, in Chicago.[4][18]
References
[edit]- ^ Who's who in Chicago. A.N. Marquis & Company. 1926. p. 38.
- ^ "Marie Kitzu Arnold". Musical Courier. 97 (8): 21. August 23, 1928 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c d "Madame Kitzu-Arimondi to Teach Singing" Musical Courier 57(17)(October 21, 1908): 30.
- ^ a b "Aurelia Arimondi; Widow of Famous Italian Basso Appeared at Metropolitan". The New York Times. 1941-07-29. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
- ^ "The Coming Opera Season". Harper's Weekly. 39 (2031): 1115–1116. November 23, 1895 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Wearing, J. P. (2013-11-21). The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel. Scarecrow Press. pp. 209–211, 252–253, 257–258. ISBN 978-0-8108-9282-8.
- ^ Salgado, Susana (2003-07-22). The Teatro Solís: 150 Years of Opera, Concert and Ballet in Montevideo. Wesleyan University Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-8195-6594-5.
- ^ Brown, Thomas Allston (1903). A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901. Dodd, Mead. p. 464.
- ^ "Metropolitan Opera House". Freund's Musical Weekly. 11 (10): 3. October 16, 1895.
- ^ "Mme. Kitzu-Arimondi to Teach Singing". Musical Courier. 73 (8): 18. August 24, 1916 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Many Artistic Singers in Arimondi Studios". The Musical Leader. 43 (16): 378. April 20, 1922.
- ^ "Last Arimondi Musicale". The Musical Leader. 43 (23): 636. June 8, 1922.
- ^ "The Popular Arimondis". The Musical Leader. 43 (22): 602. June 1, 1922.
- ^ "The Arimondis at the Chicago Musical College". Musical Courier. 90 (17): 20. April 23, 1925 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Wives of the Opera Stars". Musical America. 7 (21): 23. April 4, 1908 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Mr. and Mrs. Vittorio Arimondi". The Musical Leader. 43 (16): cover. April 20, 1922.
- ^ "Untitled news item". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1928-06-10. p. 49. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Aurelia Arimondi Dies; Former Opera Singer". Evening star. 1941-07-29. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.