Fedora Alemán
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Fedora Alemán (11 October 1912 – 6 February 2018) was a Venezuelan
operatic soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to A5 in choral music, or to ...
. 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 Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
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 New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
under
Fausto Cleva Fausto Cleva (May 17, 1902August 6, 1971) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American operatic conductor. Life and career Fausto Cleva was born in Trieste in 1902. After studies at the Conservatorio in his native city and Milan, Cleva made his debut ...
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 New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
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 Pergolesi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710–1736), Italian composer, violinist, and organist * Michael Angelo Pergolesi, 18th-century Italian decorative artist {{Surname Italian-langu ...
's ''
La serva padrona ''La serva padrona'' (''The Maid Turned Mistress'') is a 1733 intermezzo by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710–1736) to a libretto by Gennaro Federico, after the Play (theatre), play by Jacopo Angello Nelli. It is some 40 minutes long, in two par ...
''. She went on to perform leading roles in
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...
's ''
Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...
'' and '' La Traviata''. From 1950, her concert tours reached North America, Brazil and Europe. She performed in the United States, in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
, 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 Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has globally bec ...
. In 1956, she sang Lucy from the opera of
Gian Carlo Menotti Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian-American composer, libretto, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American ...
: '' 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 Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
. After appearances in
Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionParis Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, she traveled in 1964 to Israel, where she appeared in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
and
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
. The following year, she sang the world premiere of ''Cuatro canciones sefardíes'' by
Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical g ...
at the
Ateneo de Madrid The Ateneo de Madrid ("Athenæum of Madrid") is a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain that was founded in 1835. Its full name is ''Ateneo Científico, Literario y Artístico de Madrid'' ("Scientific, Literary and Artistic ...
and in the auditorium of the
Universidad Complutense de Madrid The Complutense University of Madrid (, UCM; ) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world, and one of Spain's ...
. In 1971, she received the first prize in the ''Certosa Festival'' in Italy. In 1974, she was elected Woman of the Year in Venezuela. In 1977 she received the ''National Music Award '', and in 1992 the
Andrés Bello Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López (; November 29, 1781 – October 15, 1865) was a Venezuelan Humanism, humanist, diplomat, poet, legislator, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute a ...
award. The Simón Bolívar University called her "a pioneer of lyrical singing in Venezuela". She was a music teacher from 2006, with a
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
. Celebrated Venezuelan and foreign composers have created works for Alemán. These include ''Por los caminos de Zorca y Petrea'' by Blanca Estrella de Méscoli, ''La renuncia'' by
Antonio Estévez Antonio José Estévez Aponte (January 3, 1916 – November 26, 1988), was a Venezuelan musician, composer and conductor who was born in Calabozo and died in Caracas. He founded the Central University of Venezuela Central is an adjective usua ...
, ''Vuelas al fin'' by
Moisés Moleiro Moisés Moleiro (28 March 190418 June 1979) was a Venezuelan pianist and composer. He was born in 1904 and studied under Salvador Llamozas. Moleiro founded the Orfeón Lamas and taught piano at the ''Caracas Musical Declamation Academy'' (toda ...
, ''Canción a Fedora'' by José Reina, ''Giraluna lejana'' by
Inocente Carreño Inocente José Carreño (28 December 1919 – 29 June 2016) was a Venezuelan composer and academic. He won the Venezuelan National Prize for Music in 1989. Carreño died 29 June 2016, aged 96. See also *Venezuela *Venezuelan music Referenc ...
, ''Alma no me digas nada'' by Ana Rugeles and ''Pájaro del agua'' by
Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the '' Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical g ...
. 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.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aleman, Fedora 1912 births 2018 deaths Venezuelan operatic sopranos Singers from Caracas 20th-century women opera singers Venezuelan women centenarians