Dodi Protero (March 13, 1931 â€" April 22, 2007) was a Canadian
operatic soprano who had a prolific international career from 1955
through 1980. A singer with a great deal of technical finesse, she
excelled in the coloratura soprano and soubrette repertoires. She
later had a successful second career as a voice teacher.[1]Born
Dorothy Ann MacGregor (later adopted the name McIlraith)[2] in
Toronto, Ontario, Protero studied singing with James Rossellino in her
native city from 1949 through 1959 and her first professional
performing experiences were with his Rosselino Opera Company during
the early 1950s as Annina in performances of Giuseppe Verdi's La
traviata. She was also a pupil of Toti dal Monte in Venice
(1955â€"1957), Ferdinand Grossmann in Vienna (1957), Lorenz
Fehenberger in Munich (1963), and in New York City with Rosa Bok
(1967â€"1970) and Oren Brown (1975â€"1976).[2] She made her European
opera debut in 1955 as Papagena in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic
Flute at the Teatro di San Carlo. That same year she won the Siena
International Singing Competition and in 1957 she won the singing
competition at the Salzburg Mozarteum.[1]In the late 1950s, Protero
made appearances at the Bielefeld Opera, the Oper der Stadt Köln, and
the Wuppertal Opera. She sang for the first time at the Salzburg
Festival in 1959 as Clarice in Joseph Haydn's Il mondo della luna. She
also performed in concerts of works by Mozart at Salzburg in 1959 and
1960.[1] She sang Papagena at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1960 and
that same year made her first appearance with the Canadian Opera
Company (COC) as Ciboletta in Johann Strauss II's Eine Nacht in
Venedig. She returned to the COC numerous times during her career,
portraying such roles as Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und
Gretel (1962, 1963), Musetta in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème (1965),
Parasha in Igor Stravinsky's Mavra (1965), Oona in the world premiere
of Raymond Pannell's The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1967), Rosina in The
Barber of Seville (1970), and Marzelline in Ludwig van Beethoven's
Fidelio (1970).[2]Protero performed in several productions with the
English National Opera during the 1960s. In 1963 she toured Europe
with the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. She portrayed the role of
Mrs. Bedwin in the 1965 Broadway revival of Lionel Bart's Oliver!.
Other guest appearances include performances with the Calgary Opera,
New Orleans Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, San Antonio Grand Opera Festival,
the Stratford Festival, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, the Teatro
Massimo, Vancouver Opera, and numerous return engagements at the
Teatro di San Carlo.[1]
operatic soprano who had a prolific international career from 1955
through 1980. A singer with a great deal of technical finesse, she
excelled in the coloratura soprano and soubrette repertoires. She
later had a successful second career as a voice teacher.[1]Born
Dorothy Ann MacGregor (later adopted the name McIlraith)[2] in
Toronto, Ontario, Protero studied singing with James Rossellino in her
native city from 1949 through 1959 and her first professional
performing experiences were with his Rosselino Opera Company during
the early 1950s as Annina in performances of Giuseppe Verdi's La
traviata. She was also a pupil of Toti dal Monte in Venice
(1955â€"1957), Ferdinand Grossmann in Vienna (1957), Lorenz
Fehenberger in Munich (1963), and in New York City with Rosa Bok
(1967â€"1970) and Oren Brown (1975â€"1976).[2] She made her European
opera debut in 1955 as Papagena in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Magic
Flute at the Teatro di San Carlo. That same year she won the Siena
International Singing Competition and in 1957 she won the singing
competition at the Salzburg Mozarteum.[1]In the late 1950s, Protero
made appearances at the Bielefeld Opera, the Oper der Stadt Köln, and
the Wuppertal Opera. She sang for the first time at the Salzburg
Festival in 1959 as Clarice in Joseph Haydn's Il mondo della luna. She
also performed in concerts of works by Mozart at Salzburg in 1959 and
1960.[1] She sang Papagena at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1960 and
that same year made her first appearance with the Canadian Opera
Company (COC) as Ciboletta in Johann Strauss II's Eine Nacht in
Venedig. She returned to the COC numerous times during her career,
portraying such roles as Gretel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und
Gretel (1962, 1963), Musetta in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème (1965),
Parasha in Igor Stravinsky's Mavra (1965), Oona in the world premiere
of Raymond Pannell's The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1967), Rosina in The
Barber of Seville (1970), and Marzelline in Ludwig van Beethoven's
Fidelio (1970).[2]Protero performed in several productions with the
English National Opera during the 1960s. In 1963 she toured Europe
with the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. She portrayed the role of
Mrs. Bedwin in the 1965 Broadway revival of Lionel Bart's Oliver!.
Other guest appearances include performances with the Calgary Opera,
New Orleans Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, San Antonio Grand Opera Festival,
the Stratford Festival, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, the Teatro
Massimo, Vancouver Opera, and numerous return engagements at the
Teatro di San Carlo.[1]
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