Ria Ginster

Ria Ginster (15 April 1898 – 11 May 1985) was a German soprano who appeared mainly in recital and concert, including international tours. She was an academic voice teacher at the Zürich Conservatory, and gave master classes internationally, including at the Mozarteum, in Philadelphia and in New York.

Born in Frankfurt, Ginster was the daughter of the conductor Peter Ginster. She attended the Lyzeum and learned violin, appearing in public at age 13. From 1916 she studied singing at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. She studied further at the Berlin University of the Arts with Louis Bachner, obtaining the Staatsexamen. From 1923 she performed as a lied singer primarily. Opera arias also belonged to her repertoire, but she rarely appeared on stage. She performed operatic roles for the broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk, including Melisande in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande and the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica.

Ginster gave concerts in Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Holland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, and from 1934 also in the U.S. and Canada. In London, she was the soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah, conducted by Thomas Beecham. In 1935, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 1936 and 1941, she sang premieres of lieder by Othmar Schoeck. She performed the soprano solo in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the 1937 Salzburg Festival. Wilhelm Furtwängler conducted the gala concert, with Rosette Anday, Helge Rosvaenge and Herbert Alsen as soloists. The same year, she was the soprano soloist, alongside Hans Hotter, in Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.