Maria Di Gerlando

Maria Di Gerlando (November 23, 1925 – May 24, 2010) was an American operatic soprano and voice teacher born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. She performed leading roles at the New York City Opera from 1953 to 1969 and made a Broadway appearance in 1954 in Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street.

Di Gerlando launched her professional career in 1950 with the touring San Carlo Opera Company, making her operatic debut at the Boston Opera House as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème. Three years later she joined the New York City Opera, where her debut role was Violetta in Verdi's La traviata. Over the following sixteen years she took on a range of leading parts at the company, among them Anna Gomez in The Consul, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene, Mimì, and the title role in Suor Angelica.

Her Broadway debut came in 1954, when she created the role of Carmela in the world premiere of Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street. The production marked her sole Broadway credit and remains the role for which she was best known.

Beyond New York, Di Gerlando appeared with several regional American opera companies. At the Washington National Opera in 1960 she sang Desdemona in Verdi's Otello alongside James McCracken in the title role, with Paul Callaway conducting the National Symphony Orchestra. The following season she returned to Washington to perform Liza in The Queen of Spades, with David Lloyd as Herman and Elaine Bonazzi as the Countess. In 1961 she sang Micaela in Bizet's Carmen at the New Orleans Opera, a role she repeated in New York City in 1964 opposite Shirley Verrett in the title role and Julius Rudel conducting. In 1962 she sang Desdemona to Mario del Monaco's Otello at the Connecticut Opera.

Di Gerlando also undertook a limited number of engagements outside the United States. In 1960 she sang Liù in Turandot in Monterrey, Mexico, opposite Plácido Domingo as Calàf. In 1966 she appeared with the Vancouver Opera as Mimì, with Frank Porretta singing Rodolfo.

Di Gerlando retired from the stage in the early 1970s and subsequently worked as a voice teacher and as a judge at singing competitions. She died on May 24, 2010, in Paterson, New Jersey, at the age of 84.