Maria Croonen

Maria Croonen, born on July 21, 1925, in Goch, Germany, was a German soprano known for her lyrical voice and extensive operatic career. She trained at the Leipzig State Conservatory and made her stage debut in the 1948/49 season at Theater Meißen. From 1953 to 1963, she was a permanent member of the Leipzig Opera ensemble, performing leading lyric soprano roles, and continued there on a guest basis until 1970. She held a permanent guest contract at the Berlin State Opera, appearing in notable roles such as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Micaëla in Carmen, and Olga in Prokofiev’s The Story of a Real Man. Croonen recorded several operas and operettas for Leipzig Radio and appeared on several Eterna label recordings. She also taught voice at the Leipzig Academy of Music from 1965 to 1982, becoming a professor in 1976. Maria Croonen passed away on November 10, 2021, at the age of 96.