Rita Gorr
Born: 18th February 1926, Zelzate, near Ghent, Belgium
Died: 22nd January 2012
Nationality: Belgian
The Belgian dramatic mezzo Rita Gorr (1926-2012) was born near Ghent, and made her debut at just 20 years old as Fricka in Die Walküre at Antwerp. Her wide repertoire encompassed Italian, German and French roles, and she was particularly feted as Ortrud, Amneris (the role in which she made her Met debut in 1962) and Poulenc's Madame de Croissy. She continued to sing well into her seventies, returning to Antwerp and Ghent to perform the demanding role of the old Countess in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame just five years before her death.