Dodi Protero

Dodi Protero

Dodi (Dorothy Ann) Protero (b MacGregor, adopted McIlraith). Soprano, teacher born Toronto 13 Mar 1933, died New York, NY, 22 Apr 2007. While a pupil 1949-59 of James Rosselino she sang during the early 1950s in the Rosselino Opera's production of La Traviata. She also studied in Venice 1955-7 with Toti Dal Monte, in Vienna in 1957 with Ferdinand Grossmann, in Munich in 1963 with Lorenz Fehenberger, and in New York 1967-70 with Rosa Bok and 1975-6 with Oren Brown. She made her European debut in 1955 as Papagena in The Magic Flute with the San Carlo Opera in Naples and appeared at the Cologne Opera, at the 1959 Salzburg Festival as Clarice in Haydn's Il Mondo della luna, and at the 1960 Glyndebourne Festival as Papagena. She made her COC debut in 1960 as Ciboletta in A Night in Venice. Further COC roles included Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (1962, 1963), Musetta in La Bohème (1965), Parasha in Mavra (1965), Oona in the premiere (1967) of The Luck of Ginger Coffey, and Marcellina in Fidelio (1970). She appeared in 1962 at Sadler's Wells, London, toured Europe in 1963 with the Mozart Opera of Salzburg, sang at the Stratford and Vancouver International festivals, and performed with the Vancouver, Southern Alberta (Calgary Opera), and several US operas. She sang Mrs Bedwin in Oliver! on Broadway in 1966. She has sung on the CBC, the BBC, and several European networks, and appeared with the TSO, the Mozarteum Orchestra, and other orchestras. She retired from professional singing in 1980.

In 1974 she began teaching privately in New York and became a member of the Voice Foundation. Her research into voice science has included a study of the effects of the pelvic tilt on the support mechanism with dancer and choreographer Norman Thompson, and a study (in progress in 1991) of the influence of Garcia, Marchesi, and Lamperti on modern vocal quality. She taught 1975-82 at the Banff SFA and 1976-87 at the University of Illinois, where she received the 1982 Campus Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. In 1987 Protero became associate director of voice and director of auditions for the Opera Music Theatre International in Newark, NJ.

Discography

D'Albert Tiefland. Vienna SO, Moralt conductor, Protero (Nuri). 1957. 2-Epic SC-6025

Haydn Die Welt Auf dem Monde. Vienna Phil, Conz conductor. 1959. 3-Melodram MEL-707

Mozart La Finta Giardiniera (excerpts). Camerata Academia des Salzburger Mozarteums, Paumgartner conductor, Protero (Sandrina). 1957. Epic LC-3543

Pergolesi La Serva padrona (excerpts). Camerata Academia des Salzburger Mozarteums, Hager conductor, Protero (Serpina). 1958. Philips A-00494L