Maureen Forrester

Canada's most famous contralto, Maureen Forrester, began her vocal studies with Sally Martin in Montreal and later studied with Frank Rowe and Bernard Diamant. Her first professional appearance was in a recital at Montreal in 1953, and she began a musical collaboration with pianist John Newmark which lasted until his death in 1991. In 1955 she went to Paris for a recital, and her New York debut was one year later. That recital brought her to the attention of Bruno Walter, who asked her to sing the contralto solos in the Second Symphony of Mahler with the New York Philharmonic ...