Nordica, Lillian

Nordica, Lillian (nôr`dĭkə), 1857–1914, American soprano, b. Farmington, Maine, as Lillian Norton. She studied in Milan, where she made her operatic debut in 1879. She sang in St. Petersburg, Paris, and London and in 1883 made her debut at the Academy of Music, New York City, and in 1890 at the Metropolitan Opera. Although most famous for Wagnerian roles, added to her repertory in 1894 when she sang at Bayreuth, she was equally capable in such florid roles as that of Marguerite in Faust.

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Nordica, Lillian (b. Norton) (1857–1914) soprano; born in Farmington, Maine. She studied in Boston and began singing publicly in 1876. Following further studies in Milan, she made her operatic debut there in 1879 (and allowed her name to be changed to Nordica) and went on to successful appearances around Europe and England. Her Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1890; there and elsewhere she was acclaimed above all for her Wagnerian roles. Leaving the Met in 1909, she made concert tours until her retirement in 1913, and died in Java after a shipwreck.