Eleonora de Cisneros (October 31, 1878 â€" February 3, 1934), was an
American opera singer. Cisneros was a major backer towards the sale of
Liberty bonds during World War I. She was a singer for the
Metropolitan Opera company. Cisneros toured the United States during
World War I singing in plays to raise funds for the Red Cross.Cisneros
was born Eleanor Broadfoot in Manhattan, New York City on October 31,
1878 (some sources say November 1, 1878). Her parents were John C.
Broadfoot, a New York City clerk, and Ellen Small. She was an only
child. Her father was of Scottish and her mother of Irish descent. She
received her primary schooling at St. Agnes Seminary in Brooklyn.
Cisneros started her initial singing studies in the United States
under the American opera singers Adelina Murio-Celli d'Elpeux and
Francesco Fanciulli. She became a mezzo-soprano opera singer.The opera
singer Jean de Reszke introduced Cisneros, then known as "Eleanor
Broadfoot", to the manager of the Metropolitan Opera company in 1899
and she was hired. Cisneros was the first American trained opera
singer the Metropolitan Opera company hired. Previous to this, the
opera house would only hire singers formally trained in Europe. She
gave her first performance with the Metropolitan Opera company in
Chicago on November 24, 1899. Her role was as Rossweise in Die
Walküre. She performed the same role in New York City on January 5,
1900 â€" being her debut in that city. After performing in New York
City she then went to Philadelphia in a hurry and filled in as a
contralto, with no rehearsal, in Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi at the
Metropolitan Opera. The manager of the opera company complimented
Cisneros on her successful performance and she became a key singer.
Cisneros became their key contralto singer from 1906 -1911.Cisneros
married Count Francois de Cisneros, a Cuban journalist, in 1901,
becoming Countess Eleonora de Cisneros. She then went to Turin, Italy,
in 1902 to perform. The Italians were not receptive to the "American"
Eleanor Broadfoot from the Metropolitan Opera unless she paid a fee.
She had her business cards reprinted with her married name Countess
Eleonora de Cisneros and she was well received then. Cisneros made her
début at Turin as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida. Cisneros
debuted in 1906 at La Scala in Milan, Italy. At this opera house in
this year she established the part of Candia della Leonessa in the
opera La figlia di Iorio by Alberto Franchetti. She sang also the same
year in the opera house the first performances of the operas The Queen
of Spades by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Salome by Richard Strauss.
She also sang in the same opera house the first performance of the
opera Elektra by Strauss, performed in 1909.
American opera singer. Cisneros was a major backer towards the sale of
Liberty bonds during World War I. She was a singer for the
Metropolitan Opera company. Cisneros toured the United States during
World War I singing in plays to raise funds for the Red Cross.Cisneros
was born Eleanor Broadfoot in Manhattan, New York City on October 31,
1878 (some sources say November 1, 1878). Her parents were John C.
Broadfoot, a New York City clerk, and Ellen Small. She was an only
child. Her father was of Scottish and her mother of Irish descent. She
received her primary schooling at St. Agnes Seminary in Brooklyn.
Cisneros started her initial singing studies in the United States
under the American opera singers Adelina Murio-Celli d'Elpeux and
Francesco Fanciulli. She became a mezzo-soprano opera singer.The opera
singer Jean de Reszke introduced Cisneros, then known as "Eleanor
Broadfoot", to the manager of the Metropolitan Opera company in 1899
and she was hired. Cisneros was the first American trained opera
singer the Metropolitan Opera company hired. Previous to this, the
opera house would only hire singers formally trained in Europe. She
gave her first performance with the Metropolitan Opera company in
Chicago on November 24, 1899. Her role was as Rossweise in Die
Walküre. She performed the same role in New York City on January 5,
1900 â€" being her debut in that city. After performing in New York
City she then went to Philadelphia in a hurry and filled in as a
contralto, with no rehearsal, in Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi at the
Metropolitan Opera. The manager of the opera company complimented
Cisneros on her successful performance and she became a key singer.
Cisneros became their key contralto singer from 1906 -1911.Cisneros
married Count Francois de Cisneros, a Cuban journalist, in 1901,
becoming Countess Eleonora de Cisneros. She then went to Turin, Italy,
in 1902 to perform. The Italians were not receptive to the "American"
Eleanor Broadfoot from the Metropolitan Opera unless she paid a fee.
She had her business cards reprinted with her married name Countess
Eleonora de Cisneros and she was well received then. Cisneros made her
début at Turin as Amneris in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida. Cisneros
debuted in 1906 at La Scala in Milan, Italy. At this opera house in
this year she established the part of Candia della Leonessa in the
opera La figlia di Iorio by Alberto Franchetti. She sang also the same
year in the opera house the first performances of the operas The Queen
of Spades by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Salome by Richard Strauss.
She also sang in the same opera house the first performance of the
opera Elektra by Strauss, performed in 1909.
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