Steber, Eleanor (1914–1990)

American soprano. Born on July 17, 1914, in Wheeling, West Virginia; died on October 3, 1990, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania; daughter of William Charles Steber (a bank cashier) and Ida A. (Nolte) Steber (a singer); studied at the New England Conservatory and with Paul Althouse and William Whitney; married Edwin L. Bilby, in 1938.

Debuted in Boston (1936); won the Metropolitan Radio Auditions (1936); debuted at the Met (1936) and performed there (1936–62); debuted at Bayreuth (1953), Vienna (1953); sang in the first performance of Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (1948); sang Miss Wingrave in American premiere of Britten's Owen Wingrave (1973); taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.

Eleanor Steber, who had a fan club with chapters throughout the United States and its own newsletter, The Silvertone, was a singer of astonishing breadth and depth. Her career was particularly associated with the composer Samuel Barber. Steber premiered the title role of Barber's Vanessa in 1958; she had also appeared in the premiere of his Knoxville: Summer of 1915 in 1948. During her lengthy career at the Metropolitan Opera, Steber became known for her performances of Mozart and Strauss. She was also known for her work in other modern operas, such as Berg's Wozzeck and Britten's Owen Wingrave. Steber was a champion of modern music and particularly of modern American music. After her retirement from the opera stage, she taught at the Juilliard School, Temple University, the New England Conservatory, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Having worked her way through the New England Conservatory as a dormitory desk attendant and a piano accompanist when young, she founded the Eleanor Steber Music Foundation which provided assistance to aspiring singers.

John Haag , Athens, Georgia