Marguerite Sylva

Marguerite Sylva
Marguerite Sylva as Carmen, her signature role. (Paris circa 1906)
Born
Marguerite Alice Hélène Smith

(1875-07-10)10 July 1875
Brussels, Belgium
Died21 February 1957(1957-02-21) (aged 81)
Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Mezzo-soprano, actress
Years active1920-1945
Spouse(s)William Mann (?-1912) divorced
Bernard L. Smith (1915-1929) divorced (2 children)

Marguerite Sylva (also known as Marguerita Sylva) (10 July 1875 – 21 February 1957) was a Belgian born mezzo-soprano who achieved fame in opera, operetta, and musical theatre. She was particularly known for her performances in the title role of Bizet's Carmen, which she sang over 300 times in the course of her career. Sylva was a pioneering recording artist for Edison Records and made many recordings for the company from 1910 to 1912.[1]

  1. ^ Shaman, William et al. (1999), p. 285