Happy Birthday Miss Harshaw

Born on this day in Narbeth, Pennsylvania in 1909, the eminent Wagnerian Mezzo-Soprano and Dramatic-Soprano Margaret Harshaw sang at the Metropolitan Opera for 22 seasons, then taught at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, and at Westminster Choir College—which is where I met her.

To be sure, Harshaw wasn’t for the faint of heart. Like her own teacher Anna E. Schoen-René, she didn’t suffer fools, was demanding, and would freely admit that she wasn't good for anyone under twenty-five. I was nearly thirty when we met, and took what she gave me and found my way to New York City Opera.

I owe her a lot. Everything really. Harshaw ignited my curiosity, made my career possible, and is the foundation of my research into the teachings of the Garcías and Lampertis. For this and more, I am most grateful.

Happy Birthday, Miss Harshaw!