Teresa Stratas was born Anastasia Stratakis on May 26, 1938, and is a Canadian operatic soprano and actress of Greek descent. She is especially well known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu. She is formally retired.
Teresa was born to a struggling immigrant Cretan family in Oshawa, near Toronto, Ontario. At age 13, she performed Greek pop songs on the radio. She graduated from The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto where she studied singing with Irene Jessner. At age 20, Stratas made her professional opera debut as Mimì in “La bohème” at the Toronto Opera Festival. One year later in 1959, she co-won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, appearing later that year with the Metropolitan Opera as Poussette in “Manon”. She created the title role in Peggy Glanville-Hicks' “Nausicaa” at the Herod Atticus Theatre in Athens in 1961, made her Covent Garden debut as Mimì that same year and in 1962, she made her La Scala debut as Isabella in Manuel de Falla's “L'Atlántida”. She continued her career with the Metropolitan Opera, moved into leading roles and performed with leading opera houses around the world, including the Bolshoi, Vienna State, Berlin, Bavarian State (Munich), Paris, San Francisco and at the Salzburg Festival.
She also starred in several film adaptations of operas, including “Salome” (1974), “Amahl and the Night Visitors” (1978), “The Bartered Bride” (1975), “Pagliacci” (1982) and “La traviata” (1983).
Stratas appeared in one Euro-wester 1961’s “The Canadians” starring Robert Ryan. Here she plays the white squaw and sings two songs.
Today Teresa is formally retired.
STRATAS, Teresa (Anastasia Strataki)
[5/26/1938, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada -
] – opera singer, theater, film, TV actress, married to poet, playwright
Tony Harrison [1937-
]
(1984- ).
The Canadians – 1961 [sings: “Sioux Lullaby”, “The
Night”]
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