Maria Pellegrini, the Canadian operatic soprano, died on December 28, 2025.
Born in Pretoro, Italy, on July 15, 1939, she emigrated to Canada with her family in 1958 and became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1965. She studied voice at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and later in London with Joe Macko.
Pellegrini made her professional opera debut in 1963 with the Canadian Opera Company as the High Priestess in Verdi’s Aida and went on to appear there in roles including Annina, Gilda, Aida, Cio-Cio-San, Nedda and Violetta. Her international career began in the 1960s, and she was particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi.
Maria Pellegrini (15 July 1939 – 28 December 2025) was a Canadian operatic soprano of Italian birth who had an active international career from the 1960s. She was particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi. In 1965 she became a naturalized Canadian citizen.