Ana María Iriarte

Ana María Iriarte (23 January 1927 – 4 February 2025) was a Spanish operatic mezzo-soprano and voice teacher. Trained in Madrid, Vienna, Milan and Paris, she appeared internationally in opera and especially zarzuela, but retired from the stage at age 32, portraying Bizet's Carmen at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. She founded a school in Barcelona where she taught singing. In 2006 she created a foundation in her name, which runs an international zarzuela competition.

Early life Iriarte was born in Madrid on 23 January 1927. She began her education at the Deutsche Schule Madrid and started taking singing classes at age 16. She studied at the Madrid Royal Conservatory from 1945 to 1951 with Ramona Nieto, among others. She made her professional debut at age 18, on 4 December 1945, at the Teatro Apolo in Valencia performing in the opera El soñador by , Ewa Hyla and José García Quijada. She lectured at the Concurso Internacional de Canto Francisco Viñas and about the Arte Lírico Español y Zarzuela at the University of Portland.

Iriarte died on 4 February 2025, at the age of 98.

Awards Throughout Iriarte's career she received many awards, including the Lucrecia Arana National Singing Prize, from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid. In 1952, she was awarded the National Theatre Prize, In 2013, she received a lifetime recognition award from the (AIE).