Maureen Forrester

Raised in working-class Montreal, Forrester left school at thirteen to work as a typist, paying for vocal lessons until her 1953 recital debut. In 1956, legendary conductor Bruno Walter chose her to sing Mahler's Symphony No. 2 at Carnegie Hall, launching an international career across every major opera house.

Forrester recorded widely and sang under Bernstein, Karajan, and Beecham, performing the tragic depths of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. Later serving as Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts (1983–1988), she was an indefatigable champion of public funding for Canadian artists.