Mildred Miller, 1924–2023

The Metropolitan Opera mourns the death of mezzo-soprano Mildred Miller, an admired and cherished artist who sang 338 performances with the company from 1951 to 1974. Her Met debut as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro was a first taste of what would become her most frequent role and one for which she holds the company record for the most performances (67). In all, she sang 21 roles with the Met and was particularly noted for “pants” roles which, in addition to Cherubino, included Siébel in Gounod’s Faust, Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Octavian in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, and the Composer in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. Her broad repertory also encompassed roles such as Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Lola in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, and even two performances each of Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. Following her Met career, Miller continued as a major force in the opera world, founding the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and serving as teacher and mentor to generations of young singers. We extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and many admirers.