Rosa Ponselle (1887-1981) is one of the Metropolitan Opera’s most well known sopranos. However, this leading lady began her career on the vaudeville stage and in theatre productions. In the 1920’s Ponselle got her big break at the Metropolitan Opera, where she consistently played leading roles for twenty years. Despite the fact that she was still a success at the opera, in 1937 Ponselle ended her professional career to focus on her domestic life. However, although she no longer performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Ponselle still remained active in the Opera world through acting as a mentor for up and coming singers.
