Sylvia Grant

Grant, Sylvia

Sylvia (b Shapiro) Grant. Soprano, b Calgary 25 Aug 1928; BA sociology (Toronto) 1950. A pupil of Ernesto Vinci, in 1952 she won the Grand Prize on 'Opportunity Knocks'. She appeared regularly 1952-63 with the Royal Cons Opera (University of Toronto Opera Division) and the COC, singing lyric and dramatic roles including Donna Anna (1956) and Donna Elvira (1963) in Don Giovanni, Nedda in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci (1961), and Ortlinde in Die Walküre (1962). She sang leading roles in 1960 with the Calgary Opera. She also appeared 1966-8 with the New York City Opera, where her roles were Lucille in the North American premiere of Von Einem's Danton's Death (1966), Fata Morgana in Prokofiev's The Love of Three Oranges, and Musetta in La Bohème. She retired in 1968. Her performances were marked by dramatic force and a voice of brilliant timbre.