Ester Ferrabini
Ester Ferrabini was an Italian opera singer born in Venice on October 12, 1885. Her father was a college professor, and she studied voice before making her debut in Brescia in 1905. In 1906 she toured North America with the Ruggero Leoncavallo company and moved to the United States in 1908. She became known for roles like Mimi in La Bohème and the lead in Carmen.
In 1917 she toured the American West with the La Scala Grand Opera Company and sang in Mexico City. Her last opera performance was Carmen in Boston in 1924, and she sang at a benefit for Italian war veterans there in 1925. She made at least two recordings.
She lived in Montreal for two years when her husband was the National Opera Company of Canada’s music director, then lived in Boston where her husband conducted the Boston Pops. She joined the Boston Conservatory faculty in 1920 when her husband became its president.
She married musician Agide Jacchia in 1911, and their daughter Elsa was born in 1912. Elsa appeared on stage with her mother in Madama Butterfly in 1917. In 1928 she moved back to Italy with her husband, who died in 1932. After that Ester Ferrabini lived with her daughter and grandchildren in Santa Margherita Ligure near Portofino. She died there on July 28, 1984, at age 98.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:47 (CET).