Sophie Braslau

Her vocal talent was discovered by voice teacher Arturo Buzzi-Peccia, a family friend, who heard the little girl humming while she practiced piano.

She auditioned for New York's Metropolitan Opera in April 1913, was promptly signed to a contract, and debuted in November of that year.

[2] Braslau also sang in concert and toured widely and frequently, first in the United States and Canada, then in Europe in the 1920s, using a repertoire which included works in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Yiddish.

[3] She retired from her full-time opera career in the late 1920s and performed very little as frail health brought her life to an early close.

[1] At her funeral Sergei Rachmaninoff was an honorary pallbearer; the eulogy was delivered by Olin Downes, music critic for The New York Times.