Cathy Berberian

Soprano and composer

What is Cathy Berberian known for?

Catherine Anahid Berberian, known as Cathy Berberian, was a renowned American mezzo-soprano and composer, who left a lasting legacy in the world of music. Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts on July 4, 1925, Cathy graduated from Manhattan's Julia Richman High School for Girls, making her an esteemed alumni of Manhattan International High School in New York.

During her life, Berberian worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, such as Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Henri Pousseur, Sylvano Bussotti, Darius Milhaud, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, and Igor Stravinsky. As a composer herself, she is perhaps best known for her innovative works, "Stripsody" (1966), which explores comic book sounds (onomatopoeia), and "Morsicat(h)y" (1969), a composition for the keyboard based on Morse code.

Beyond contemporary music, Berberian showed a great diversity in her performances, interpreting works by Claudio Monteverdi, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Kurt Weill, Philipp zu Eulenburg, and more. She is well remembered for her classical arrangements of Beatles songs, as well as for presenting several vocal genres in a classical context.

Berberian had a compelling journey through academia, beginning at New York University, then moving on to Columbia University, and ultimately landing in Paris and Milan for her music education. Her formal debut came in 1957, and her American debut arrived in 1960 at the Tanglewood Music Festival where she premiered 'Circles' by the Italian composer Luciano Berio, to whom she was married from 1950 to 1964. In partnership with Berio, both during and after their marriage, she produced some of her most memorable works. This fruitful collaboration included pieces such as 'Thema (Omaggio a Joyce)', 'Circles', 'Visage', 'Folk Songs', 'Sequenza III', and 'Recital I (for Cathy)'.

For more information about her life and contributions to the music world, check out her official website.

Cathy Berberian's life was rooted in music, and she flowed seamlessly between being a mezzo-soprano and a composer. Her innovative and dedicated spirit made her an iconic figure in the world of music. She passed away on March 6, 1983, in Rome, Italy, leaving behind an enduring legacy.