Kathleen Ferrier

Kathleen Ferrier (1912-1953) was an English contralto from Lancashire whose voice carried her from working as a telephone operator to the international concert stage. Her repertoire ran from English folksongs and ballads to the large classical works of Bach, Brahms, Mahler, and Elgar. She died of cancer at the height of her career, and her recordings remain a lasting document of one of the most celebrated voices of the 20th century.