Franca Duval

Franca Duval (February 13, 1925 – July 21, 2020) was an American soprano born in New York City to parents who had emigrated from Italy. She began her professional career in San Francisco before establishing herself on the international operatic stage.

Duval made her debut at Milan's La Scala in 1950, appearing in Heinrich Sutermeister's Raskolnikoff. She remained affiliated with the company for several years, taking on roles including Zerlina and Blonde, and on occasion stepped in for both Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi in the role of Violetta in La traviata. In 1956 she appeared alongside Franco Corelli in a RAI film adaptation of Tosca, though her voice was dubbed by Maria Caniglia for the production, reportedly because Tosca was not yet part of her professional repertory. She subsequently added the role at Santa Fe in 1960.

Beginning in 1957, Duval performed extensively in France, singing in Lille, Nice, Rouen, and Vichy, and appearing at the Opéra-Comique in Paris during the 1959–60 season. She also performed in Algiers during 1957–58.

Duval became closely identified with the title role of Gian Carlo Menotti's opera Maria Golovin, which she created at its world premiere in Brussels in 1958. That same year she brought the role to Broadway, and she subsequently appeared on the original cast recording and in the NBC Opera Theatre production of the work in 1959.

Following the conclusion of her performing career, Duval turned to teaching singing. She married Carlo Nell, and the couple resided in Paris until his death in 2016. Duval died in Paris on July 21, 2020.