Anni Frind (3 February 1900 – 8 April 1987) was one of the most highly recorded lyric sopranos in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. Anni Frind was born into a German family in Mikulášovice, Nixdorf, a small town in Bohemia (now Czech Republic).

Career

She made her debut in 1922 at the Volksoper Berlin and went on to sing leading soprano roles in both opera and operetta at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich State Opera, the Semperoper, Dresden State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, German Opera House in Berlin and other major European cities.''The New York Times'' obituary: Anni Frind
/ref>''Orlando Sentinel'' obituary: Anni Frind
/ref> After the successful premiere of Ralph Benatzky's operetta ''Casanova (Benatzky), Casanova'' in 1928, her energies were devoted mainly to operetta; and the ever-popular His Master's Voice (British record label), His Master's Voice recording of "The Nuns' Chorus" (comp. Johann Strauss II/arr. Ralph Benatzky) was produced.''Gramophone'', 1979
/ref>Internet Archive "The Nuns‘ Chorus" by Anni Frind
Großes Schauspielhaus, 1929 She appeared as Adele in Max Reinhardt's production of ''Die Fledermaus'' 200 times.

Retirement from professional singing and later life

Anni Frind retired from professional singing at the outbreak of World War II, subsequently marrying. At the end of the war she sang for Allied soldiers at the front and worked as a volunteer nurse. Anni Frind-Sperling moved to New Orleans in 1951, and became a singing teacher at Newcomb College Tulane University. She died 1987 in New Orleans aged 87.

References

1900 births 1987 deaths German operatic sopranos Sudeten German people Czechoslovak emigrants Immigrants to Germany 20th-century German women opera singers Singers from New Orleans Tulane University faculty Immigrants to the United States People from Děčín District Centaur Records artists {{Germany-opera-singer-stub