Anna Moffo, the renowned American soprano, was born on June 27, 1932, in Wayne, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Radnor High School, she pursued her passion for music at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and later at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, on a Fulbright scholarship.
Initially, Moffo considered joining a nunnery, but her love for music ultimately won out. Her captivating combination of beauty and singing style made her a popular draw in the opera world during the late 1950s and 1960s.
Moffo made her professional debut in 1955 as Norine in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" in Spoleto, followed by a highly acclaimed performance as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" in an Italian TV production directed by Mario Lanfranchi, whom she married in 1957.
Throughout her career, Moffo strengthened her reputation in Salzburg and Vienna, and made her U.S. debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1957 as Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme." Her first performance on the Metropolitan stage was as Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata."
Over the years, her bel canto repertoire included iconic roles such as Micaela in "Carmen," Gilda in "Rigoletto," and Liu in "Turandot." The zenith of her Met career was her performance as the title role in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" opposite Carlo Bergonzi's Edgardo in January 1965.
In addition to her opera career, Moffo also appeared in several Italian films, including "The Battle of Austerlitz" (1960),"La serva padrona" (1964),"Menage all'italiana" (1965),and "Il divorzio" (1970). She also filmed her performances in "La Traviata" (1967) and "Lucia di Lammermoor" (1971),both directed by her husband, Mario Lanfranchi.
Moffo's singing career was marked by a series of Grammy nominations, but ultimately came to an abrupt end in her 40s due to vocal strain. Her last regular performance at the Met was met with poor reception in 1976, and she retired from the stage shortly thereafter.
Despite her struggles with her voice, Moffo continued to make appearances, including a one-time duet with baritone Robert Merrill in the company's centennial gala. Her marriage to Lanfranchi ended in divorce in 1972, but her second marriage to Robert Sarnoff in 1974 proved more durable and lasted until his death in 1997.
Moffo's later years were marked by illness, including a nearly decade-long battle with breast cancer. She passed away on March 10, 2006, at the age of 73, due to complications from a stroke. Despite not having any biological children of her own, she was survived by three stepchildren.
