Eva Likova

Eva Likova(21 December 1919 – 15 March 2004) was an Americanoperaticsopranoof Czech descent. She was notably one of the major sopranos at theNew York City Operaduring the company's early years. She also made guest appearances with a number ofopera housesin North America and Europe, enjoying a particularly fruitful partnership with thePhiladelphia Grand Opera Company.After retiring from the opera stage in 1966, she embarked on a second career as a voice teacher.

Biography

BornEva PichlíkováinPrague,Likova studied to be aballerinabefore studying singing at thePrague Conservatorywith Nektar de Flondor. She made her professional opera debut in 1943 as Mařenka inBedřich Smetana'sThe Bartered Brideat theBrno National Theatrewhere she was committed for two years. From 1945 through 1947 she worked as a principal artist at thePrague National Theatre.She also made a handful of appearances in European films and worked as a dramatic actress and ballet dancer during the early 1940s.

In 1947 Likova came to the United States on a two-year contract with the Detroit Symphony. She first performed in the USA as a concert singer, making her American debut on February 6, 1947 with theDetroit Symphony Orchestraunder conductorKarl Krueger.In 1948 she received critical acclaim after appearing with theNew York Philharmonicunder the direction ofAlfredo Antoninibefore an audience of over 14,000 at the landmarkLewisohn Stadiumperforming selections fromGiacomo Puccini'sMadama ButterflyandRuggero Leoncavallo'sPagliacci.In 1949 made her American opera debut as Violetta inGiuseppe Verdi'sLa traviataat theNew York City Opera(NYCO). She remained committed to the NYCO up through 1957, portraying such roles as Donna Anna and Donna Elvira inWolfgang Amadeus Mozart'sDon Giovanni,Gilda in Verdi'sRigoletto,Liù inGiacomo Puccini'sTurandot,Marguerite inCharles Gounod'sFaust(oppositeNorman Treigle), Micaela inGeorges Bizet'sCarmen,Musetta in Puccini'sLa bohème,Nedda inRuggero Leoncavallo'sPagliacci,Olympia inJacques Offenbach'sThe Tales of Hoffmannand the title role inJules Massenet’sManon.She returned to the NYCO as a guest artist a number of times up through 1965, with her last performance with the company being Giorgetta in Puccini'sIl tabarro.

Likova was active as a guest artist with opera companies throughout the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1953 she made her debut with thePhiladelphia Civic Grand Opera Companyas Violetta to the Alfredo ofWalter Fredericksand Germont ofCesare Bardelliunder conductorGiuseppe Bamboschek.She later appeared with thePhiladelphia Grand Opera Companyas Nedda (1956), Gilda (1957), Adina inGaetano Donizetti'sL'elisir d'amore(1958), Lisette in Puccini'sLa rondine(1960), Marienka (1960), Musetta (1964), Micaëla (1964), and Nedda (1966).In 1954 she appeared as Zerbinetta inRichard Strauss'sAriadne auf naxosat theCentral City Opera.In 1955 she sang Arsena inJohann Strauss II'sThe Gypsy Baronat theLewisohn Stadiumunder conductorJulius Rudeland portrayed Euridice inChristoph Willibald Gluck'sOrfeo ed Euridiceat theNewport Music FestivalwithMartha Liptonas Orfeo.In 1956, she sang Dircé in theAmerican Opera Society's production ofLuigi Cherubini'sMédéeatCarnegie HallwithEileen Farrellin the title role andArnold Gamsonconducting.In 1959, Likova portrayed Oscar inUn ballo in maschera,oppositeHerva NelliandRichard Tucker,for the Opera Guild of Miami.

In 1961 Likova sang Violetta at theOpera Company of BostonwithJohn Alexanderas Alfredo andIgor Gorinas Germont under the baton ofSarah Caldwell.That same year she portrayed Liù toLucille Udovick's Turandot at theSan Francisco Opera.She also gave performances at thePittsburgh OperaandNew Orleans Operaamong others. She was also active as a concert singer, appearing with such orchestras as theNew York Philharmonicand theChicago Symphony Orchestra.On the international stage she appeared at theCanadian Opera Company,theGreat Theatre, Warsaw,theLiceu,thePalacio de Bellas Artes,theVienna State Opera,theOpéra National de Paris,and with a number of opera houses in Germany and Italy. She was also highly active in filming operatic productions for television in the early 1950s with both NBC and CBC.

After the end of the 1965-1966 season, Likova retired from performing. She joined the faculty of theUniversity of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance,where she taught singing until her retirement in 1983. She later taught privately in both New York City and Philadelphia until returning to Michigan where she lived inSouthfielduntil her death of complications ofAlzheimer's diseaseat the age of 84.