Beloved South African soprano Mimi Coertse (93) passed away on Monday.
On 17 March 1956, she made her debut at the Vienna State Opera as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Mozart.
She remained with the Vienna State Opera until 1978.
After retiring in 1978, she devoted her time to exposing young South African singers to the neglected art of Lieder singing.
In 1996, Austria’s Federal Ministry for Science and Art awarded her the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art.
In 1998, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria.
‘Goodbye, Our Mimi‘ says the headline, and ‘She was a true opera diva. When she entered a room, you knew you were in distinguished and important company. An era has come to an end. Rest in peace, dear Mimi.’
KS stands for Kammersängerin, is a prestigious German honorific title for distinguished opera and classical music singers.