Astrid Varnay (Soprano)
Born: 25th April 1918, Stockholm, Sweden
Died: 4th September 2006, Munich, Germany
Nationality: American
One of the most respected Wagnerian sopranos of the mid-twentieth century, Astrid Varnay was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the child of two celebrated Hungarian singers.
Varnay was to be a mainstay at Bayreuth for 17 seasons. Although she made few studio recordings, live performances reveal a huge instrument of enormous depth (putting many a contralto to shame) with a top register of lacerating thrust and power.