contralto

The cliché applied to contralto voices is “plummy” and Heynis offers its reverse, a sort of lean, emotional essentialism in a deep and beautiful voice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

With her electric green eyes, corkscrew hair and husky contralto voice, Dame Cleo became the most recognisable British jazz singer in history.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2025

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s home is being renamed Marian Anderson Hall in honor of the pioneering Black American contralto, a rare case of an artist’s name replacing a corporation.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024

In 1998, British producers Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling pioneered its modern usage by making Cher’s velvety contralto pixelate and reconstitute over and over, measure by measure, making history.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2023

From the moment the acclaimed contralto Marian Anderson announced a performance at the college’s Ogden Hall, the two women knew they would go together.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Alexander Neef, the general director of the Canadian Opera Company, laments the difficulty of finding real contraltos to fuel the continuing renaissance of Baroque opera, with its many roles originally geared to castratos.

From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2016

Lili Chookasian, an American singer who in the 1960s and afterward was among the most prominent contraltos in the world, died on Tuesday at her home in Branford, Conn. She was 90.

From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2012

Her voice was not as powerful as that of some of the other famous Italian contraltos and mezzos, but it was immediately recognisable.

From The Guardian ● May 7, 2010

Pretty & popular young sopranos are rare enough, but pretty & popular young contraltos almost unheard of.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was easier for Chester to play the ones written for tenors than the ones for sopranos, contraltos, and basses, but he did them all beautifully.

From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden