Rise Stevens

Risë Stevens (born 11th June 1913, New York City) is a retired American operatic mezzo-soprano who captured a wide popular audience at the height of her career (1940–1960). She studied at New York's Juilliard School for three years. She went to Vienna, where she was trained by Marie Gutheil-Schoder and Herbert Graf. She made her début as Mignon in Prague in 1936 and stayed there until 1938, also appearing in guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera. Her Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier was one of her finest and most accomplished roles.