Nan Merriman

Nan Merriman (April 28, 1920- ) is an American operatic mezzo-soprano, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is most famous for singing many roles both live and on radio under the baton of the legendary Arturo Toscanini between 1944 and 1952, while he was conductor of the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Among the roles she sang with him, all released on CD, are Maddalena in Act IV of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, Emilia in Verdi's Otello, Mistress Page in Verdi's Falstaff, and the trouser role of Orfeo in Act II of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. She was also featured as Dorabella in a famous 1956 La Scala performance of Mozart's Così fan tutte, which was conducted by Toscanini's short-lived protegee, Guido Cantelli. This has also been released on compact discs, as have her studio recordings of Spanish and French songs with Gerald Moore at the piano.

Nan Merriman retired from performing to raise a family in 1965.