Born: 30 August 1922, United States
Died: 8 August 2013
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Regina Resnick
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Regina Resnik (born Regina Resnick) was born in The Bronx, New York City in 1922, to impoverished Ukrainian Jewish immigrants who had just arrived in New York. She was an accomplished American opera singer with a career spanning five decades. She began as a soprano in 1942 and enjoyed a lengthy association with the Metropolitan Opera from 1944 to 1983. Following advice from conductor Clemens Krauss, she transitioned to mezzo-soprano in 1953 and phased out soprano performances by 1956.
Although the Metropolitan Opera was her primary stage, Resnik also guest-starred with other major American and European opera companies, including La Scala, the Paris Opera, the Royal Opera in London, the San Francisco Opera, and the Vienna State Opera. In the latter half of the 1980s, she shifted from opera to musical theater.
In addition to performing, Resnik directed productions at European opera houses during the 1970s and 1980s, often collaborating with her husband, scenic and costume designer Arbit Blatas. She also taught voice at respected music conservatories, including the Juilliard School.