Eliza Illiard

Eliza Illiard, born Elisabeth Piper, was a German coloratura soprano engaged at the Mannheim National Theatre from 1932 to 1934, where she created the Fiakermilli in the premiere of Strauss's Arabella at the Dresden State Opera in 1933. She went on to create roles in Berlin operetta premieres by Eduard Künneke and Fred Raymond in 1934, and sang further operetta roles including Angèle Didier in Der Graf von Luxemburg and Laura in Der Bettelstudent at the Admiralspalast and Wintergarten theatres. She appeared in six films between 1934 and 1941, and married the composer and conductor Will Meisel in 1935, premiering his coloratura waltz; their two sons, Peter and Thomas, both became music publishers.