OperaDB

Rita Fornia

also Regina Newman

1878Steane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).–1922Steane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). · American · soprano, mezzo-sopranoSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United StatesSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).

An American singerSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). who spent fifteen seasons at the Metropolitan OperaSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., rarely in leading roles but across an unusually wide rangeSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).. Born Regina NewmanSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., she studied with Sofia Scalchi and Jean de ReszkeSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., and made her debut at Hamburg in 1901Steane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). as a coloratura sopranoSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).. With Henry Savage's English Grand Opera Company she took soprano and mezzo roles alikeSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., once singing Elisabeth and Venus in one TannhäuserSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.. At the Met from 1907Steane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). she created parts in Parker's Mona and Giordano's Madame Sans-GêneWikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)., and in 1918 the Abbess in Suor AngelicaSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026).. She retired in 1922Steane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026). and died in Paris that OctoberSteane, J. B. (1992) 'Fornia, Rita [Newman, Regina]', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 257.Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Fornia, Rita', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, cols. 971-972.Wikipedia (2026) Rita Fornia. (Accessed: 22 September 2026)..

Creations

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