The great lyrical singers
Khvorostovsky or Sutherland? Callas or Ludwig? It is difficult for inquiring minds to tackle a field as large and diverse as the lyrical art, covering 10 centuries of history: there are many lyrical artists in the world. Making a selection of musicians, such as a “top 10” for example, is a difficult and subjective exercise. A musical selection is often the expression of personal preferences or artistic opinions, very interesting but also very different according to critics or musicologists, or simply influenced by the context: will an English lyrical singer not be instinctively privileged by an English critic?
For example: in France, Roberto Alagna, a French tenor, is more popular than the Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Obraztsova, who is more renowned throughout the world.
Timeline of lyrical singers
Whoever wants to discover opera does not always have an experienced music lover, an expert or an educator at his or her side to support and guide him or her in this field. So : Khvorostovsky (Russian operatic baritone (1962-2017)) or Sutherland (Australian soprano (1926-2010)) ? Koutcher (Belarussian opera singer) or Belkina (Ukrainian singer) ? However, the knowledge available about musicians is enormous. It was processed to select the 10, 25, 50... most popular lyrical singers around the world. And this objectively, and for the first time (soclassiq exclusivity).
Lyrical singers rendered as a timeline to bring a little perspective:
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ComposersConductorsLyrical singersPerformers 2024
This timeline is interactive to navigate through the ages or across continents (with ).
Top 10 lyrical singers
Who are these greatest lyrical singers, the most famous over the 1880-2020 era? The carreer of these musician has marked the history of lyric art. There are those you probably know, or at least by name and the others.
Here are these 10 lyrical singers, renowned artists from around the world:
The selections of musicians (lyrical singers) proposed by soclassiq are based exclusively on algorithms. The same applies to the composers, their works, the performers, les orchestras, the conductors and the venues : opera houses, concert halls or festivals.
What about the others? 25, 50 or more?
Summarizing to 10 musician names such a wide and diverse field may seem extreme or too simplistic for those who know lyrical art well, for those who can easily name 50 or more lyrical singers. Patti, Domingo, Tebaldi, Gerrard, Nilsson, Caruso, Zakaryan...
At this time, soclassiq has listed more than 14000 lyrical singers. So here is a selection of some lyrical singers for the years 1880-2020, widely recognized around the world:
Note:
- This selection may include highly reputed artists and musicians who have occasionally devoted themselves to classical music and not exclusively.
Ildar Abdrazakov The great lyrical singers
age 47 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Aino Ackté The great lyrical singers
1876-1944 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Theo Adam The great lyrical singers
1926-2019 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Roberto Alagna The great lyrical singers
age 60 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Licia Albanese The great lyrical singers
1909-2014 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Marietta Alboni The great lyrical singers
1826-1894 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Laura Alonso Padín The great lyrical singers
age 48 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Marian Anderson The great lyrical singers
1897-1993 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Emilie Autumn The great lyrical singers
age 44 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Janet Baker The great lyrical singers
age 90 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Meliton Balanchivadze The great lyrical singers
1862-1937 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Filip Bandžak The great lyrical singers
age 40 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Cecilia Bartoli The great lyrical singers
age 57 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Nikolay Baskov The great lyrical singers
age 47 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Kathleen Battle The great lyrical singers
age 75 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Hildegard Behrens The great lyrical singers
1937-2009 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Lena Belkina The great lyrical singers
age 36 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Teresa Berganza The great lyrical singers
1935-2022 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Carlo Bergonzi The great lyrical singers
1924-2014 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Jussi Björling The great lyrical singers
1911-1960 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Andrea Bocelli The great lyrical singers
age 65 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Sarah Brightman The great lyrical singers
age 63 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Oleg Bryzhak The great lyrical singers
1960-2015 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Vincent Bueno The great lyrical singers
age 38 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Urs Bühler The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Montserrat Caballé The great lyrical singers
1933-2018 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Maria Callas The great lyrical singers
1923-1977 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Emma Calvé The great lyrical singers
1858-1942 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Piero Cappuccilli The great lyrical singers
1929-2005 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Teresa Carreño The great lyrical singers
1853-1917 (Romantic)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
José Carreras The great lyrical singers
age 77 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Enrico Caruso The great lyrical singers
1873-1921 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Cezar Florin Cezar The great lyrical singers
age 44 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Feodor Chaliapin The great lyrical singers
1873-1938 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Boris Christoff The great lyrical singers
1914-1993 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Franco Corelli The great lyrical singers
1921-2003 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Fiorenza Cossotto The great lyrical singers
age 88 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Noël Coward The great lyrical singers
1899-1973 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Diana Damrau The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Lisa della Della Casa The great lyrical singers
1919-2012 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Mario del Del Monaco The great lyrical singers
1915-1982 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Daniela Dessì The great lyrical singers
1957-2016 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Cristina Deutekom The great lyrical singers
1931-2014 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Joyce DiDonato The great lyrical singers
age 55 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Ghena Dimitrova The great lyrical singers
1941-2005 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Giuseppe di Di Stefano The great lyrical singers
1921-2008 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Zara Dolukhanova The great lyrical singers
1918-2007 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Plácido Domingo The great lyrical singers
age 83 (20th century)
Conductor & Lyrical singer
Deanna Durbin The great lyrical singers
1921-2013 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Danny Elfman The great lyrical singers
age 70 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Malena Ernman The great lyrical singers
age 53 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Jackie Evancho The great lyrical singers
age 23 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Maria Ewing The great lyrical singers
1950-2022 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Geraldine Farrar The great lyrical singers
1882-1967 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Kathleen Ferrier The great lyrical singers
1912-1953 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau The great lyrical singers
1925-2012 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Kirsten Flagstad The great lyrical singers
1895-1962 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Renée Fleming The great lyrical singers
age 65 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Miguel Fleta The great lyrical singers
1897-1938 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Juan Diego Flórez The great lyrical singers
age 51 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
David Foster The great lyrical singers
age 74 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Florence Foster Jenkins The great lyrical singers
1868-1944 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Mirella Freni The great lyrical singers
1935-2020 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Amelita Galli-Curci The great lyrical singers
1882-1963 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Célestine Galli-Marié The great lyrical singers
1840-1905 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Elīna Garanča The great lyrical singers
age 47 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Carlos Gardel The great lyrical singers
1890-1935 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Aida Garifullina The great lyrical singers
age 36 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Gohar Gasparyan The great lyrical singers
1924-2007 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Nicolai Gedda The great lyrical singers
1925-2017 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Leyla Gencer The great lyrical singers
1928-2008 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anna German The great lyrical singers
1936-1982 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Lisa Gerrard The great lyrical singers
age 62 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Angela Gheorghiu The great lyrical singers
age 58 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Nicolai Ghiaurov The great lyrical singers
1929-2004 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Beniamino Gigli The great lyrical singers
1890-1957 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Alma Gluck The great lyrical singers
1884-1938 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Tito Gobbi The great lyrical singers
1913-1984 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Kathryn Grayson The great lyrical singers
1922-2010 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Asmik Grigorian The great lyrical singers
age 42 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Edita Gruberová The great lyrical singers
1946-2021 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Maria Guleghina The great lyrical singers
age 64 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Thomas Hampson The great lyrical singers
age 68 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Barbara Hannigan The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Heather Harper The great lyrical singers
1930-2019 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Elvira de Hidalgo The great lyrical singers
1891-1980 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Joe Hisaishi The great lyrical singers
age 73 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Marilyn Horne The great lyrical singers
age 90 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
René Jacobs The great lyrical singers
age 77 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Patricia Janečková The great lyrical singers
1998-2023 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Gundula Janowitz The great lyrical singers
age 86 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Philippe Jaroussky The great lyrical singers
age 46 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Katherine Jenkins The great lyrical singers
age 43 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Maria Jeritza The great lyrical singers
1887-1982 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Sumi Jo The great lyrical singers
age 61 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Raina Kabaivanska The great lyrical singers
age 89 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Kiri Te Kanawa The great lyrical singers
age 80 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Jonas Kaufmann The great lyrical singers
age 54 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Dmitry Khvorostovsky The great lyrical singers
1962-2017 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Emma Kirkby The great lyrical singers
age 75 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Jason Kouchak The great lyrical singers
age 55 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Nadine Koutcher The great lyrical singers
age 40 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Magdalena Kožená The great lyrical singers
age 50 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Marie Kraja The great lyrical singers
1911-1999 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Alfredo Kraus The great lyrical singers
1927-1999 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Solomea Krushelnytska The great lyrical singers
1872-1952 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Francis Lai The great lyrical singers
1932-2018 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Mario Lanza The great lyrical singers
1921-1959 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Michel Legrand The great lyrical singers
1932-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Lotte Lehmann The great lyrical singers
1888-1976 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Liberace The great lyrical singers
1919-1987 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Jenny Lind The great lyrical singers
1820-1887 (Romantic)
Performer & Lyrical singer
George London The great lyrical singers
1920-1985 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Pilar Lorengar The great lyrical singers
1928-1996 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Victoria de los Ángeles The great lyrical singers
1923-2005 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Christa Ludwig The great lyrical singers
1928-2021 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Jeanette MacDonald The great lyrical singers
1903-1965 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Muslim Magomayev The great lyrical singers
1942-2008 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Lyrical singer
Clint Mansell The great lyrical singers
age 61 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Amalie Materna The great lyrical singers
1844-1918 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Karita Mattila The great lyrical singers
age 63 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Nellie Melba The great lyrical singers
1861-1931 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Mady Mesplé The great lyrical singers
1931-2020 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Zinka Milanov The great lyrical singers
1906-1989 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Kate Miller-Heidke The great lyrical singers
age 42 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Sherrill Milnes The great lyrical singers
age 89 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Kurt Moll The great lyrical singers
1938-2017 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Grace Moore The great lyrical singers
1898-1947 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Alessandro Moreschi The great lyrical singers
1858-1922 (Romantic)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Inva Mula The great lyrical singers
age 60 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anna Netrebko The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Elina Netšajeva The great lyrical singers
age 32 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Randy Newman The great lyrical singers
age 80 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor, Performer & Lyrical singer
Birgit Nilsson The great lyrical singers
1918-2005 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Jessye Norman The great lyrical singers
1945-2019 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Leo Nucci The great lyrical singers
age 81 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Agnes Obel The great lyrical singers
age 43 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Elena Obraztsova The great lyrical singers
1939-2015 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Magda Olivero The great lyrical singers
1910-2014 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Kristīne Opolais The great lyrical singers
age 44 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Jakub Józef Orliński The great lyrical singers
age 33 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anne Sofie von Otter The great lyrical singers
age 68 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
René Pape The great lyrical singers
age 59 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Hasmik Papian The great lyrical singers
age 62 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Adelina Patti The great lyrical singers
1843-1919 (Romantic)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Luciano Pavarotti The great lyrical singers
1935-2007 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Peter Pears The great lyrical singers
1910-1986 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Roberta Peters The great lyrical singers
1930-2017 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Rosa Ponselle The great lyrical singers
1897-1981 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Lucia Popp The great lyrical singers
1939-1993 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Margaret Price The great lyrical singers
1941-2011 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Leontyne Price The great lyrical singers
age 97 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anita Rachvelishvili The great lyrical singers
age 39 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Maria Radner The great lyrical singers
1981-2015 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Ivan Rebroff The great lyrical singers
1931-2008 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Titta Ruffo The great lyrical singers
1877-1953 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Lea Salonga The great lyrical singers
age 53 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Andreas Scholl The great lyrical singers
age 56 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Princess Sophie of Schönburg-Waldenburg The great lyrical singers
1885-1936 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Peter Schreier The great lyrical singers
1935-2019 (20th century)
Composer, Conductor & Lyrical singer
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf The great lyrical singers
1915-2006 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Renata Scotto The great lyrical singers
1933-2023 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Irmgard Seefried The great lyrical singers
1919-1988 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anoushka Shankar The great lyrical singers
age 42 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Emma Shapplin The great lyrical singers
age 49 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Anzhelina Shvachka The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Cesare Siepi The great lyrical singers
1923-2010 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Nadine Sierra The great lyrical singers
age 35 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Beverly Sills The great lyrical singers
1929-2007 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Giulietta Simionato The great lyrical singers
1910-2010 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Vasyl Slipak The great lyrical singers
1974-2016 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Elisabeth Söderström The great lyrical singers
1927-2009 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Didrik Solli-Tangen The great lyrical singers
age 36 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Anatoliy Solovyanenko The great lyrical singers
1932-1999 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Frederica von Stade The great lyrical singers
age 78 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Giuseppina Strepponi The great lyrical singers
1815-1897 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Joan Sutherland The great lyrical singers
1926-2010 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Francesco Tamagno The great lyrical singers
1850-1905 (Romantic)
Lyrical singer
Tefta Tashko-Koço The great lyrical singers
1910-1947 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Renata Tebaldi The great lyrical singers
1922-2004 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Bryn Terfel The great lyrical singers
age 58 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Mikis Theodorakis The great lyrical singers
1925-2021 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Yann Tiersen The great lyrical singers
age 53 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Anna Tomowa-Sintow The great lyrical singers
age 82 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Francesco Paolo Tosti The great lyrical singers
1846-1916 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Violeta Urmana The great lyrical singers
age 63 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Viorica Ursuleac The great lyrical singers
1894-1985 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Amaury Vassili The great lyrical singers
age 34 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Pauline Viardot The great lyrical singers
1821-1910 (Romantic)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Jon Vickers The great lyrical singers
1926-2015 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Violetta Villas The great lyrical singers
1938-2011 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
Rolando Villazón The great lyrical singers
age 52 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Galina Vishnevskaya The great lyrical singers
1926-2012 (20th century)
Performer & Lyrical singer
Rufus Wainwright The great lyrical singers
age 50 (20th century)
Composer, Performer & Lyrical singer
Hayley Westenra The great lyrical singers
age 36 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Fritz Wunderlich The great lyrical singers
1930-1966 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Lusine Zakaryan The great lyrical singers
1937-1992 (20th century)
Lyrical singer
Agata Zubel The great lyrical singers
age 46 (20th century)
Composer & Lyrical singer
See also...
Timelines : Lyrical singers
- The great lyrical singers
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century lyrical singers [II.] (1950 - 2000)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 20th-century lyrical singers [I.] (1900 - 1950)
- Europe * North America * South America * Asia * Oceania * Africa
- The great 19th-century lyrical singers (1850 - 1900)
Indexes
- All lyrical singers : by voice type * by country
- by alphabetical order : A * B * C * D * E * F * G * H * I * J * K * L * M * N * O * P * Q * R * S * T * U * V * W * X * Y * Z
- Young artists (Lyrical singers)
Other timelines
- Composers : 10 centuries of classical music
- The great classical music conductors
- The great classical music performers
Commemorations 2024, 2025, ...
Last update : 2024-03-10