Opera Scotland

Wilma Lipp Suggest updates

Born Vienna, 26 April 1925.

Died Inning am Ammersee, Bavaria, 27 January 2019.

Austrian soprano.

Wilma Lipp enjoyed an extremely successful career as a coloratura soprano, particularly in roles such as Konstanze, Queen of Night, Gilda and Sophie Der Rosenkavalier. She also sang some heavier lyric roles including Donna Elvira, Antonia Tales of Hoffmann and Nedda Pagliacci.

After a period of study in Vienna, Lipp also trained in Milan under Toti dal Monte. Her debut in 1943 was as Rosina in Vienna.

She made her first appearance at the Vienna State Opera in 1945 (Kate Pinkerton). Other debuts included La Scala (Queen of Night 1950), Covent Garden (Gilda 1951, when the company performed in English), Glyndebourne (Konstanze 1957), San Francisco (Nannetta 1962). Lipp appeared frequently at the Salzburg Festival. She only visited the Edinburgh Festival once, in 1958 as a member of the Stuttgart company.

Lipp made many recordings with conductors such as Karajan, including Beethoven's 'Choral' Symphony.