Maria Strug

26 Jan 1918 - 27 Nov 2007

• OCCUPATION: Singer
  
• BIRTH: 26 Jan 1918, New York
• DEATH: 27 Nov 2007, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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 _Peter Sergei Gotowka _|
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|--Maria Strug 
|  (1918 - 2007)
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|_Elena Ivanova Strug __|
  (1893 - ....)         |
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[9515]
WALLERSTEIN Maria Strug Wallerstein passed away Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, at Salemtowne, the Moravian retirement community. Mrs. Wallerstein was born on Jan. 26, 1918, in New York, N.Y., to Elena Ivanova Strug and Peter Sergei Gotowka.

She studied voice at Hunter College and at the Metropolitan Opera. As a mezzo-soprano, she sang under the stage names of Maria Starr and Maria Stanley. Even though Mrs. Wallerstein primarily appeared in operatic roles, she also performed popular music at Radio City Music Hall.

During World War II, she appeared in various canteens, at bond rallies, navy yards and hospitals entertaining our troops. She was recognized for meritorious service by the American Theatre Wing Inc.

After the war, during the denazification trials in Vienna, Austria, she was a German-to-English translator for the Americans. Mrs. Wallerstein worked with the Columbia Opera Co. and the Montreal Opera Guild in Canada. In the United States, she sang with the Manhattan Civic Opera Co., San Carlo Opera and the Chicago Civic Opera. She appeared on television in the National Broadcasting Co.' s first opera to be televised; and on the radio, with the orchestras, WEAF, WABC, and WMCA. She also appeared in operettas and plays. In South America, Mrs. Wallerstein sang with the Teatre Municipal in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1944, she married Dr. Lothar Wallerstein, who was then a stage manager of the Metropolitan Opera and also a professor of opera, acting and set designing. In the ten years before Nazi power, Wallerstein had been chief stage director of the Vienna State Opera and producer of the Salzburg Festival. His professional colleagues included Richard Strauss, Arturo Toscanni, Bruno Walter and Clemens Krauss. At the invitation of the Ministry of O.K.W. Holland, the Wallersteins took over opera classes in the Royal Conservatories of The Hague and Amsterdam. As co-managers, they produced the first opera in Holland after World War II, with Dr. Wallerstein conducting and Mrs. Wallerstein singing the lead role in Richard Strauss' s "Rosenkavalier." They also accepted guest engagements in Vienna, Salzburg, London, Italy and the United States.

After her husband' s death in 1949, Mrs. Wallerstein established permanent homes in Locarno, Switzerland, and Florence, Italy. She moved to Winston-Salem in Nov. 2000 in order to be close to her family. Mrs. Wallerstein is survived by a brother, John Strug and his wife Keta; two nieces, T. Elaine Strug of Winston-Salem and Jerri Gilliam and her husband Jim of Cary. She has three great-nieces, Catherine Hayes, Becca Frederick and Dayna Shields; two great-nephews, John Michael Hayes and Brian Hayes; and seven great-great-nieces and nephews.

A family memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 26, at Saint Paul' s Episcopal Church. Memorials may be made to the A.J. Fletcher Opera Endowment of the North Carolina School of the Arts, 1533 South Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27127 or to Piedmont Opera Inc., 235 North Cherry St., Suite 100, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Online condolences may be made at www.salemfh.com

Source:

http://www.salemfh.com/obituaries/247/