Frederica von Stade, born June 1, 1945, in Somerville, New Jersey, United
States, is an American former opera singer. After spending a gap year in Paris
and working in summer stock theatre, von Stade joined the Metropolitan Opera
Studio in 1969, making her debut as the Third Boy in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's
Die Zauberflöte in 1970. Von Stade subsequently performed roles including
Cherubino and Rosina at opera houses including Covent Garden, La Scala, and the
Vienna State Opera. Her recording career began in 1973 with Joseph Haydn's
Harmoniemesse, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, a...