The opera singer María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch is considered one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century. Born in Barcelona in 1933, her parents lost everything they owned in the Spanish Civil War that began shortly after she was born. After a few years in a sewing factory, Montserrat Caballé finally studied singing in Barcelona and Milan. She made her debut in 1956 at the Theater Basel, where her family had recently emigrated in search of guest work. But her big breakthrough didn’t come until 1965 in New York, when she stood in for Marilyn Horne at Carnegie Hall. The Spaniard becomes a global star – her breath control, the clarity of her voice and the soft phrasing become her trademark. From then on she can be seen in the great operas of Guiseppe Verdi, Gaetano Donizetti, Gioachino Rossini and Richard Strauß, but her repertoire extends far beyond that. The soprano doesn’t even shy away from rock and pop music. In 1987, the artist recorded the song “Barcelona” with Queen singer Freddie Mercury – a homage to her hometown. Five years later, it was chosen as the theme song for the Summer Olympics and the icon became known far beyond the opera world. At the end of her life, Montserrat Caballé looked back on over 4,000 performances and 90 opera roles. She died in Barcelona in 2018 at the age of 85, leaving behind her husband and their daughter after 54 years of marriage.