Zheng Cao
| Zheng Cao | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 9, 1966 Shanghai, China |
| Died | February 21, 2013 (aged 46) San Francisco, California |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Residence | San Francisco, California |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Education | Master's degree |
| Alma mater | Curtis Institute of Music |
| Occupation | Operatic mezzo-soprano |
| Years active | 1990-2013 |
| Employer | The San Francisco Opera and other companies |
| Known for | Suzuki role in Madama Butterfly |
| Home town | San Francisco, California |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. David Larson (from 2010) |
| Partner(s) | Troy Donahue (through 2001) |
| Parent(s) | Mao Yuan Cao, Xiao Jiao Huang |
| Awards | 1993 Palm Beach Vocal Competition winner |
| Zheng Cao | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 曹錚 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 曹铮 | ||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Cáo Zhēng |
Zheng Cao (July 9, 1966 – February 21, 2013) was a Chinese-born, American operatic mezzo-soprano known for her signature role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. She performed this role with opera companies such as San Francisco Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Pittsburgh Opera, Vancouver Opera, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, and under the baton of Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Her portrayal of the role of Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro also earned her recognition at several American opera companies, including San Francisco Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. Cao died from lung cancer in San Francisco, California in 2013.
Zheng Cao was born July 9, 1966 to parents Mao Yuan Cao and Xiao Jiao Huang in Shanghai, China. Her sister Dan Cao, four years her senior, is her only sibling. As an undergraduate, she attended Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1988, Cao moved to the United States to attend American University in Washington, D.C. to study English and sing. She then began attending Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In July 1990, opera choreographer and Washington Post critic László Seregi highlighted Cao's mezzo-soprano performance at the Chinese Community Church in Washington as "worth noting". In 1993, Cao earned a Master's degree from the Curtis Institute of Music.
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