Roberta Alexander

Roberta Alexander (March 3, 1949 – October 14, 2025) was an American operatic soprano. She began her career as a lyric soprano in 1975 and spent the next three decades performing principal roles with opera houses internationally, based in the Netherlands. She was celebrated for her performances of Mozart characters like Elettra, Fiordiligi, and Countess Almaviva, performed first at the Opernhaus Zürich with Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducting. She was a leading soprano at the Metropolitan Opera from 1983 to 1991, particularly successful with roles such as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème and the title role in Janáček's Jenůfa. She later performed secondary character roles and taught voice.

Early life and career Alexander was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on March 3, 1949. Her mother was a soprano, and her father was a choral conductor. Her father directed choirs at Wilberforce University. She appeared on stage first at age eight in Weill's musical Lost in the Stars. She made her debut at the Dutch National Opera in 1975 in a students performance, as Fanny in Rossini's La cambiale di matrimonio. Later that year she created the role of Bubikopf in the world premiere of Viktor Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis. She appeared in Mozart roles with the Zürich Opera, first as Elettra in Idomeneo in 1982,

In 1982, Alexander made her debut at the Komische Oper Berlin as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème, in 1985, she portrayed there Bess in the company's first production of Porgy and Bess, alongside Simon Estes. In 1994 she portrayed the title role in Berthold Goldschmidt's Beatrice Cenci at the Opernfest in Berlin. In 1997 she appeared as Donna Elvira at the Florida Grand Opera. In 2004 she created Hannah Pitt and other characters in the world premiere of Péter Eötvös's Angels in America at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

In 2009, Harnoncourt chose her for the role of Maria for his recording of Porgy and Bess. She coached the diction of the Arnold Schoenberg Choir for the production.

Selected discography Alexander recorded for the Dutch label Etcetera Records, in addition to selected recordings for such labels as Philips and Orchestras. Bach: St Matthew Passion, conducted by Harnoncourt (Luna 1981) Bach: Mass in B minor, with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini (Sony Classical 1994) Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by André Previn (RCA 1990) Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (selections), with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta (Teldec 46318) Gershwin: Porgy and Bess, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, (Philips) Roberta Alexander sings Samuel Barber – arias from Vanessa and Antony and Cleopatra, plus Andromache's Farewell, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Songs with orchestra, Edo de Waart (conductor)