Education
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she studied singing in Los Angeles with Alexis Bassian and Lotte Lehmann.
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Nan Merriman
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By the age of twenty she was singing on Hollywood film soundtracks and it was there that she was spotted by Laurence Olivier. Merriman sang many roles both live and on radio under the baton of Arturo Toscanini between 1944 and 1952, while he was conductor of the National Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra. Among the roles she sang with him, were Maddalena in Acting IV of Verdi"s Rigoletto, Emilia in Verdi"s Otello, Mistress Page in Verdi"s Falstaff, and the trousers role of Orfeo in Acting II of Gluck"s Orfeo ed Euridice and also sang in his first and only studio recording of Beethoven"s Ninth Symphony, with the National Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra, in 1952.
She was also featured as Dorabella in a 1956 Louisiana Scala performance of Mozart"s Così fan tutte, which was conducted by Toscanini"s short-lived protégé, Guido Cantelli.
She retired from performing to care for the family in 1965. Brand died in 1970. After the children were grown, she returned to Los Angeles, where she died at home on July 22, 2012 from natural causes, aged 92.
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Born
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Died
July 22, 2012 (aged 92) -
Nationality
United States