About the Author
Olga Averino was born into a family of musicians in Moscow in 1895. Her early musical life was influenced by family friends including Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Alexander Siloti, Chaliapin and Josef Lhévinne.
Revolution and Civil War forced Mme. Averino to flee Russia to the United States.
During her long career she performed Lieder, Oratorio and Opera. In additon to performing the standard repertoire, she was a pioneer in early and modern music performance.
She worked with the composers Stravinsky Rachmaninoff and Glazounoff. She toured in joint recital with the cellist Piatigorsky. Her accompanist was Alexander Siloti, Liszt’s last pupil. She sang with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Koussevitzky 27 times, including the American premiére of Berg’s ”Lied der Lulu”.
She sang Schoenberg’s Second String Quartet with the Kolisch, Pro Arte, London and Gordon quartets.
She taught for more than 6o years. She was the head of the voice department of the Longy School of Music, Cambridge, MA. for 38 years. She taught also at Wellesley College, at Middlebury College and she gave lecture series at Harvard University.
She sang her last full recital in 1971 at the age of 76. She continued to teach to within days of her death in 1989 at the age of 93.