Remembering Marlena Malas

The Santa Fe Opera mourns the passing of the accomplished mezzo-soprano and prodigious voice pedagogue Marlena Kleinman Malas, whose association with our company spanned more than 50 years. An Apprentice Singer in 1961 and 1962, Mrs. Malas appeared in the roles of Mary in The Ballad of Baby Doe and Flora in La Traviata. She returned to our stage as a principal artist in the 1963 Season to perform Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Annina in Der Rosenkavalier, L’Écureuil in L’enfant et les Sortilèges; and in 1964 appeared as Maddalena in Rigoletto and the Student in Lulu. In time, the student became the teacher as Mrs. Malas guided numerous young singers in their careers through her teaching roles with The Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, The Curtis Institute, and as a member of our teaching staff for the Apprentice Program for Singers, where her career began. ⁠ ⁠ The Santa Fe Opera honors her remarkable artistry and deep contributions to the operatic art form and we extend sincere condolences to all who knew and loved her.