Bessie Abott

Bessie Abott (1878 – February 9, 1919) was an American operatic soprano who had an active international career during the early 20th century.

[1] In 1894 she was hired by Edward E. Rice to star in the American premiere of Ivan Caryll's Little Christopher Columbus at the Garden Theatre in New York.

Under de Reszke's advice, she moved to Paris to study singing with Jacques Bouhy, Victor Capoul, and Mathilde Marchesi for the next three years.

At the Paris Opera she notably portrayed the Forest Bird in Richard Wagner's Siegfried with her mentor, de Reszke, in the title role.

Other roles she sang in Paris included Andreloun in Gounod's Mireille and Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

She made her Met debut as Mimì in Puccini's La boheme under the baton of conductor Arturo Vigna on January 20, 1906.