Romanian singer
Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi
Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi, from a 1908 publication
Born Craiova, Romania
Died July 28, 1941Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names Aurelia Chițu Occupation(s) Opera singer, voice teacher Spouse Vittorio Arimondi Relatives Gheorghe Chițu (uncle)
Aurelia Kitzu Arimondi (1860s – July 28, 1941) was a Romanian-born opera singer and voice teacher in New York City and Chicago.
Early life and education
Kitzu was born in Craiova , Romania (some sources say Bucharest ).[ 1] Lawyer and politician Gheorghe Chițu was her uncle; her sister was educator Marie Kitzu Arnold.[ 2] She trained as a singer at the Royal Conservatory Giuseppe Verde .[ 3] [ 4]
Career
Kitzu, a mezzo-soprano , sang in many European cities,[ 5] especially at La Scala in Milan,[ 3] and Covent Garden in London.[ 6] She toured in South America in the 1890s, appearing at the Teatro Solís with José Oxilia .[ 7] She made her New York debut in 1895, as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana .[ 8] She sang at the Metropolitan Opera House [ 9] and taught singing in New York City in the 1900s.[ 3] "Madame Arimondi has the grace and culture of a true cosmopolitan," reported the Musical Courier in 1908.[ 3]
Arimondi and her husband Vittorio Arimondi taught in Chicago in after 1916.[ 10] [ 11] The Arimondis also produced a series of musicales featuring their students.[ 12] [ 13] In 1925 they joined the faculty of the Chicago Musical College .[ 14]
Personal life
Kitzu's husband, Italian-born singer Vittorio Arimondi, from a 1922 publication
Kitzu met Italian opera singer Vittorio Arimondi in South America; they married in 1896.[ 15] They moved to Chicago in 1910. The Arimondis were featured on the cover of The Musical Leader in 1922, billed as "among the most successful teachers and artists of America."[ 16] Her husband died in 1928,[ 17] and she died in 1941, probably in her seventies, in Chicago.[ 4] [ 18]
References
^ Who's who in Chicago . A.N. Marquis & Company. 1926. p. 38.
^ "Marie Kitzu Arnold" . Musical Courier . 97 (8): 21. August 23, 1928 – via Internet Archive.
^ a b c d "Madame Kitzu-Arimondi to Teach Singing" Musical Courier 57(17)(October 21, 1908): 30.
^ a b "Aurelia Arimondi; Widow of Famous Italian Basso Appeared at Metropolitan" . The New York Times . 1941-07-29. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-05-20 .
^ "The Coming Opera Season" . Harper's Weekly . 39 (2031): 1115–1116. November 23, 1895 – via Internet Archive.
^ Wearing, J. P. (2013-11-21). The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel . Scarecrow Press. pp. 209–211, 252–253, 257–258. ISBN 978-0-8108-9282-8 .
^ Salgado, Susana (2003-07-22). The Teatro Solís: 150 Years of Opera, Concert and Ballet in Montevideo . Wesleyan University Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-8195-6594-5 .
^ Brown, Thomas Allston (1903). A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901 . Dodd, Mead. p. 464.
^ "Metropolitan Opera House" . Freund's Musical Weekly . 11 (10): 3. October 16, 1895.
^ "Mme. Kitzu-Arimondi to Teach Singing" . Musical Courier . 73 (8): 18. August 24, 1916 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Many Artistic Singers in Arimondi Studios" . The Musical Leader . 43 (16): 378. April 20, 1922.
^ "Last Arimondi Musicale" . The Musical Leader . 43 (23): 636. June 8, 1922.
^ "The Popular Arimondis" . The Musical Leader . 43 (22): 602. June 1, 1922.
^ "The Arimondis at the Chicago Musical College" . Musical Courier . 90 (17): 20. April 23, 1925 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Wives of the Opera Stars" . Musical America . 7 (21): 23. April 4, 1908 – via Internet Archive.
^ "Mr. and Mrs. Vittorio Arimondi" . The Musical Leader . 43 (16): cover. April 20, 1922.
^ "Untitled news item" . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . 1928-06-10. p. 49. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Aurelia Arimondi Dies; Former Opera Singer" . Evening star . 1941-07-29. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-05-21 – via Newspapers.com.