Ljuba Welitsch was born in Borissovo, Bulgaria on July 10, 1913. When her musical talents were discovered she moved to Sofia, where her talents got her into the Academy of Music in Vienna. After singing small operatic roles in provintial opera houses, and believing that she needed a little extra something to make herself stand out, Welitsch dyed her hair flaming red...and people took notice. Welitsch pushed her high, lyric soprano into a register that wasn't completely appropriate for her, which brought about rather quick destruction of her voice. But in her prime . By the late 1950s the voice was in pieces. She retired from opera, but until her death in 1996 acted on the stage, films, and sang light roles in operettas. Welitsch died on September 1, 1996. She is buried at the City Cemetery in Vienna, in a special section called "Graves of Honor." Her neighbors there include Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and Richard Strauss.
Opera singer
