Fritzi Jokl (23 March 1895 – 15 October 1974) was an Austro-American operatic dramatic coloratura soprano.
Born in Vienna, Jokl's vocal training took place with the wife of the piano virtuoso Moriz Rosenthal, Mrs. Rosenthal-Ranner, among others. She received her first engagement in 1917 at the Oper Frankfurt. She stayed there until 1922 and sang many coloratura parts. Afterwards Jokl changed for one season to the Landestheater Darmstadt (today Staatstheater Darmstadt), in order to finally sing under the conductor Eugen Szenkar at first at the Theater des Westens (until 1925), then at the Cologne Opera (until 1926) to sing. The success there brought her an engagement at the Salzburg Festival (1928) she was Despina), a guest engagement at the Covent Garden Opera in London and finally a firm contract as first coloratura soprano at the Bavarian State Opera. Also guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera (1930) and in Amsterdam (1932) prove their prominent position. A planned move to the Kroll Opera House in Berlin in 1932 did not come about because of its closure, so she returned to the Landestheater Darmstadt, where she was dismissed as a Jew after the seizure of power by the National Socialists in spring 1933.
She still made some appearances at events of the Jüdischer Kulturbund under the conductors Joseph Rosenstock and Hans Wilhelm Steinberg[1] and a tour of France with a travelling stage. Then Jokl had to emigrate to the USA via Austria in 1936.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York turned down an engagement for the singer because her part was already occupied by Lily Pons and Bidu Sayão.[2] Jokl subsequently ended her career and only performed in private. She settled in New York and married the author and journalist Jack Siegel.
In Darmstadt, a plaque was erected in the foyer of the Staatstheater in June 2011 in memory of the displaced Jewish employees of the Institute, including Jokl.[3]
Jokl died in New York City at age 79.
Oper Frankfurt
Berliner Volksoper
Staatsoper München
Covent Garden Opera
Salzburger Festspiele 1928
Berliner Kulturbund
Other roles