Věra Soukupová

Věra Soukupová, born on April 12, 1932 in Prague, was a mezzo-soprano singer. She studied voice at the Prague Conservatory and privately with Luis Kadeřábek and A. Mustanová-Linková. Soukupová's breakthrough came through winning several prestigious competitions, including the Prague competition (1954), Toulouse singing contest (1958), Prague Spring Festival competition (1960), and Rio de Janeiro singing contest (1963). She began her career with recitals between 1955 and 1957, making her stage debut at the Divadlo Josefa Kajetána Tyla in Plzeň. In 1960, Soukupová became a principal artist at the National Theatre in Prague, where she performed notable roles in operas such as Carmen by Georges Bizet, Libuše by Bedřich Smetana, and The Devil and Catherine by Antonín Dvořák. Notable recordings include Kindertotenlieder - Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen - Wo Die Schönen Trompeten Blasen (1975).