Júlia Várady

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Júlia Várady (born 1 September 1941) is a Hungarian-born German soprano who began her career as a mezzo-soprano. She was born Tőzsér Júlia in Nagyvárad (now Oradea, Romania). Her father was Hungarian and her mother German from Transylvania. She started violin at six and studied voice from fourteen. She trained in Cluj and Bucharest, making her debut in 1962 with Cluj Opera as Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice.

In 1970 she joined Oper Frankfurt, where she sang a variety of roles. She also performed at Cologne Opera and Munich Opera Festival before joining the Bavarian State Opera, where she became known for dramatic Verdi and Wagner parts, including Lady Macbeth. She later sang in Munich as Elettra in Idomeneo and took on many major roles there.

Várady later joined Deutsche Oper Berlin, performing as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Aida, Desdemona, Elisabeth, and Senta. She appeared around the world at festivals and major houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, and the Royal Opera House in London. In 1978 she created the role of Cordelia in the world premiere of Aribert Reimann's Lear in Munich, alongside her husband in the title role. She retired in 1998 and is now a guest professor at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. She was married to the German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau from 1977 until his death in 2012.