Biography

Livia Dobay was born in Budapest on May 15th, 1912. Her father was a merchant and her mother from a music-loving family where singing accompanied the day.

She visits  piano lessons already in the early age of three years.

1916 She gives her first piano recital in the "Redoutensaal Vigado" (main concert hall of Budapest)  The four-year-old girl must be raised to the piano stool.

After the graduation of the high school, she goes to the class for opera singing at the Franz-Liszt Music Academy (Budapest). She becomes a pupil of Hubay Jenö, Unger and Szabados Béla.

1932 informativ trip to Italy

1933, on June 14th she receives the diploma of the Franz-Liszt Music Academy . Just at the finish of the diploma celebration she gets her first contract as  a lyrical soprano at the "Royal Hungarian State Opera" of Budapest.

1933 - 1956 she is a member of the Budapest State Opera and gives her first night as Nedda in Leoncavallos "Bajazzo"

1933 guest performances in Vienna of Puccinis "Madame Butterfly" and "La Bohème"

1933 invitation by the Grand Opera of St. Louis of the United States

1939 she also gets an  invitation by the Metropolitan Opera of New York. The beginning of the Second World War makes her plans invalid and crushes the possibility of a world career

1945  the communist regime close the borders of Hungary and hinder journeys to the European places of cultural musical interest and stage appearances

After she succeeded to flee from Hungary in November 1956, the government destroyed all available tapes and records. That's the reason why hardly anything remains of her exstensive repertoire and the enchanting voice for the following generations as a testimonial.

She  passes away peacefully in summer 2002, shortly after her 90th birthday in Vienna.