Fedora Alemán

Fedora Alemán (11 October 1912 – 6 February 2018) was a Venezuelan operatic soprano. One of Venezuela's most celebrated singers, she performed in concert halls throughout Latin America and Europe.

Early life, education and family Born in Caracas on 11 October 1912, Alemán began to play the piano when she was six. Her vocal talents were recognized from an early age, especially when she reached her teens. She studied at the Escuela de Música y Declamación in Caracas before training in New York under Fausto Cleva and, in particular, Alfredo Hollander in Caracas.

In her early twenties, Alemán married the American cellist Mario Di Polo whom she met in New York when she was 22. They remained married until he died in 1975. The couple had three children: Reinaldo, a scientific researcher; Mario, a violinist, and Frank, a trumpeter.

Career Her first recording, on the RCA Victor label, was made in New York while her first public performance was in 1936 at Caracas's Teatro Municipal. It was also here she sang her first opera, Pergolesi's La serva padrona. She went on to perform leading roles in Verdi's Rigoletto and La Traviata.

From 1950, her concert tours reached North America, Brazil and Europe. She performed in the United States, in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1951 in the Caribbean. In 1954, she participated in the Primar Festival de Música Latinoamericana de Caracas (First Caracas Festival of Latin American Music), with Bachianas Brasileñas by Heitor Villa-Lobos. In 1956, she sang Lucy from the opera of Gian Carlo Menotti: The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois. In 1961, she travelled to France and Italy where she undertook further voice training. The following year she performed at the Grand Théâtre in Bordeaux.

After retiring from the stage in 1989, together with the Venezuelan soprano Lotty Ipinza, she founded the Taller de Técnica Vocal Fedora Alemán in Caracas, initially aimed at aspiring singers with limited resources and currently to stimulate the participation of young people attracted to singing.

Critic Ana Mercedes Asuaje de Rugeles (1914–2012) commented:

Fedora Alemán and her husband Mario di Polo were breeders of thoroughbred horses and owners of Stud Miami with racers such as Otelo, Marfé (composed with the name of Mario her husband and Fedora), Sicilia, Miss Val and also the champion El Griego. Mario Di Polo became a racehorse trainer since he applied in 1954 at the El Paraíso Racecourse and continued at the La Rinconada Hypodrome until his death in 1975.

Fedora Alemán died on February 6, 2018, of natural causes, at the age of 105.

Recognition and awards Alemán was named Mujer de Venezuela (Woman of Venezuela) in 1974. She has also received the Orden de la Ciudad de Caracas (Order of the City of Caracas), the Orden Andrés Bello and the Orden Río Branco. A music hall in the National Center for Social Action for Music of Caracas bears her name. The Fedora Alemán medal is awarded for lyrical excellence in the Venezuelan National Singing Contest.