Legendary Czech Opera Singer Dies at 97: Remembering Her Life and Career

After her emigration from totalitarian Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, she sang in important world opera houses. She was in San Francisco for a record 11 seasons. She gave extraordinary performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Leoš Janáček. Her most famous role was Carmen. Here she sang on leading world stages more than one hundred and fifty times.

Last September 29, shortly after her 97th birthday, Červená performed on the occasion of the presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the EU in the Lateran Basilica in Rome in the oratorio of Jan Zástěra Svatá Ludmila as a soloist in the group of St. Ludmila.

In 2004, she received the Thalia Award as a special award of the college, in 2011, the Artis Bohemiae Amicis medal from the Minister of Culture, and on October 28, 2013, President Miloš Zeman awarded her the Medal of Merit. On the occasion of her 90th birthday, the then Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL) awarded her the title of Lady of Czech Culture in 2015.

In addition to singing, Červená also worked as an actress. At Stavovské Divadle, she created the main role in Čapkov’s Vec Makropulos and the character of Dr. Milady Horáková in Březinov Tomorrow will be… The audience also knows her as Frau König from the film directed by Jan Hřebejk Pupendo.