Born above her fathers
drugstore at Jefferson and Chouteau Avenues in south St. Louis, heroic-voiced Helen
Traubel debuted with the Saint Louis Symphony in 1924. To continue her training in St.
Louis, she initially declined an offer from New Yorks Metropolitan Opera, but moved
to New York in the late 1930s. Traubel was the Mets premier Wagnerian soprano until
she left in 1953 to appear in nightclubs, on television and in movies. With her joyous
confidence and booming laughter, Helen Traubel broke down barriers in a stratified society
and proved that an American could succeed in the European-dominated opera world.
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Charles Mackay, Managing Director, Opera Theater of St.
Louis, accepted the award on behalf of Ms. Traubel. |