9/13/2017
Striking a Chord
Operatic soprano Ruth Falcon, who received her MFA at Tulane in 1971, became one of the most celebrated operatic sopranos throughout Europe and America as well as an elite voice teacher. A New Orleans native, she received her undergraduate degree from Loyola and left for New York for additional training. Returning to New Orleans to appear with the New Orleans Opera Association, she stayed to receive her advanced degree and to profit from all the city had to offer.
“I think Tulane was pivotal for me,” explains Falcon. “When I was studying in New York I got what you call ‘studio bound.’ I was studying and studying and didn’t have very many opportunities for performing. So I had all this knowledge, but I needed to test it.”
New Orleans provided numerous opportunities to perform and test her art. In roles such as Summer Lyric Theatre’s Die Fledermaus, she shone in the part of Rosalinde. “I was singing all the time, and I got the experience that I needed to really have the courage and confidence to go ahead and have a singing career,” she said. “From being the smallest fish in a big pond, I was the biggest fish in a small pond, and that gave me hope that I could really make it.”
After receiving her MFA, Falcon taught at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and then returned to New York where in 1974 she debuted with the New York City Opera as Micaela in Carmen. After the New York City Opera engagement, she went to Europe with a contract with the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Here, she built her repertoire and career, remaining a member of the house for six years. She then sang throughout Europe, appearing at such major venues as the Paris Opera, the Vienna State Opera, La Scala in Milan, and Covent Garden Opera in London.
Even though Falcon was a continent away from Tulane, her connection with the university did not end. While in Paris she reconnected with a Tulane grad, Douglas Meyer (A & S ’74) who had been a piano playing undergraduate while she was at the university. They dated long distance before Falcon returned to the United States to sing with the New York Philharmonic; they married in 1988.
From that point on, Falcon’s career soared. She made a spectacular Metropolitan Opera debut as the Empress in Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau Ohne Schatten.” The New York Times hailed her as “a soprano to reckon with…Miss Falcon’s robust and glistening voice easily pierced the lushest orchestration.” She then went on to sing many roles at the Metropolitan Opera, including Turandot in Turandot and Chrysothemis in Elektra.
As Falcon benefitted from excellent training at Tulane, she has now become a master teacher herself. She has mentored numerous young stars, who have profited from her extraordinary career as a performer, coach, and instructor. Although she now calls New York home, her career has roots deep in New Orleans and Tulane.