Stefano Ballarini

Istvan Balla, better known by the names Stefano Ballarini, Stephen Ballarini, and Stephan Ballarini (19 October 1902 - 26 May 1979) was a Hungarian-born American baritone. A native of Budapest, he was trained in Germany and made his stage debut at the Oper Breslau in 1925. He had a career at opera houses in Europe for the next eleven years, performing leading roles at La Scala, the Berlin State Opera, and the Vienna State Opera among other places. He made multiple appearances at the Teatro Colón from 1931-1934. He relocated to the United States where he made his American debut at the Chicago City Opera Company in October 1936. After marrying an American woman in 1938, he became a naturalized American citizen in 1939. He performed with multiple opera companies in Philadelphia during the 1930s and 1940s, and was a regular performer with the San Carlo Opera Company from 1938-1949. On Broadway he portrayed Mr. Martini in the world premiere of Walter Damrosch's The Opera Cloak in 1942 at the Broadway Theatre. He also sang in concerts with American orchestras, including performances with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. His final appearance was at the New York City Opera in 1952. His voice is preserved on several recordings made during the late 1920s and early 1930s on various record labels in France, Italy, and Germany.