(1887-1982)
Maria Jeritza, a world-renowned soprano Marie Jedličková by her original name, studied violin, piano, cello and harp at the conservatory in the city of Brno. However, her talent destined her for opera singing. Her debut took place in 1910 in Olomouc, when she played the role of Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin. The response was so enthusiastic that Emperor Franz Josef himself ordered her admission to the Imperial Court Opera in Vienna. After this assignment, she took a position at the Metropolitan Opera in New York between 1921 and 1932. There, she was instrumental in staging the opera Jenůfa by the 20th century Czech composer Leoš Janáček. She lived alternately in New York and Vienna. Maria Jeritza had a beautiful voice, a charming personality and stood out for her outstanding acting talent. She was admired as a great performer of dramatic and tense roles. She also appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Due to her strong voice, she was nicknamed the Moravian Thunderbolt.