Education
She attended Corvallis High School in Studio City, California from 1945 to 1949. She later studied with Luisa Franceschi and her husband, baritone Ellae Verna, in New York City.
She attended Corvallis High School in Studio City, California from 1945 to 1949. She later studied with Luisa Franceschi and her husband, baritone Ellae Verna, in New York City.
She was particularly active with the Metropolitan Opera and the Seattle Opera, and is best remembered for her annual performances in Seattle of Richard Wagner"s Ring Cycle from 1974-1987. She taught on the voice faculty of Pepperdine University. Born Geraldine Helen Rice in the Bronx, Decker moved with her family to California in her youth.
She devoted the next two decades of her life to her opera career.
She first drew critical notice in 1974 at the Seattle Opera where she appeared in Richard Wagner"s Ring Cycle as Erda in both Das Rheingold and Siegfried, Schwertleite in Die Walküre, and the First Norn Götterdämmerung. She portrayed those roles again in Seattle every summer through 1987.
Decker made her debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1978 as Mamma Lucia in Mascagni"s Cavalleria rusticana. On December 17, 1980 she sang the same role for her debut at the Metropolitan Opera with Grace Bumbry as Santuzza and David Stivender conducting.
She was a regular presence on the Met stage for six seasons, portraying such roles as Gertrud in Humperdinck"s Hansel and Gretel, Gertrude in Gounod"s Roméo et Juliette (with Placido Domingo conducting), Grandmother Burja in Jenůfa, and Schwertleite in Die Walküre among others
In 1981 she portrayed the Large Woman in the Met premiere of Les Mamelles de Tirésias, and was also seen that year as Annina in the premiere of the Colin Graham staging of Verdi"s Louisiana traviata. A production which was broadcast nationally on Live from the Metropolitan Her last performance at the Met was as the Nurse in Boris Godunov on March 23, 1987 with Paul Plishka in the title role and James Conlon conducting.
In 1982 Decker created the role of Nelly Dean in the world premiere of Bernard Herrmann"s Wuthering Heights at the Portland Opera.
That same year she appeared in a minor singing part in Franco Zeffirelli"s film version of Louisiana Traviata. Other companies she performed roles with during her career included Cabrillo Music Theatre, Hawaii Opera Theater, the Long Beach Opera, the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, and Opera San José.
In 1990 she portrayed Mistress Beemer in the Disney film Polly: Comin" Home!.
She also appeared as a maid in the 1976 film Harry and Walter Go to New New York
Decker lived in Oxnard, California for over 50 years. She died there in 2013 at the age 82 from complications of diabetes.