Elsa Cavelti

Swiss mezzo-soprano and contralto, born 4 May 1907 in Rorschach, Switzerland and died 10 August 2001 in Basel, Switzerland. Elsa Cavelti was the daughter of Johann Mathias, editor of newspapers. She studied piano and singing in Zürich, Frankfurt-am-Main and Vienna. Elsa Cavelti made her debut at the City Theatre of Katowice (Poland) in 1936. She sang in Frankfurt-am-Main, with the State Theatre of Beuthen (Silesia, near Bytom, Poland), in Düsseldorf and at the National Opera of Dresden before joining the City Theatre of Zürich as dramatic alto. Extended tours of concerts and operas led her to the principal European and American stages. She sang many times at the premiers of Swiss composers (Paul Huber, Othmar Schoek, Frank Martin, Willy Burkhard, Rudolf Kelterborn, etc). In 1959 she undertook new studies which enabled her to sing also as dramatic soprano. In 1964, the Academy of State of Frankfurt-am-Main offered Elsa Cavelti a post of Professor. After that she also taught in Basel where she lived.