History 21 The Podcast - 5.04 Ethel Wagner DeLong

In 1954, the Metropolitan Opera held its first regional auditions in Minnesota. They planned to fly the winner to New York and broadcast the performance to the nation on the radio program “Auditions of the Air.” The winner was Ethel Wagner DeLong, a 33-year-old mother of three from the City of Anoka. In this episode, listen to excerpts from her 1954 “Auditions of the Air” appearance and her subsequent MPR interview in 1979, looking back at her accomplishments. Between clips, you’ll hear our conversation with her eldest son, Peter, who shared his memories of his mother and the music constantly permeating their home.

Host Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator, and Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director.

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Anoka Herald Feb 18, 1954

Ethel Wagner DeLong

1921-1988

In February 1954, Ethel Wagner DeLong joined 126 other singers on the Northrop Auditorium stage to sing for The Metropolitan Opera’s first regional auditions. The singers were whittled down to 30 and sang again for John Gutman, assistant to the manager of the Met. At the end of the day, the judges declared DeLong the winner. Her prize: a trip for two to New York to sing on the national Auditions of the Air.

Ethel’s trip was hailed in the local newspapers, and she was immersed in the Opera world during her trip. In the end, she returned to her home and life as a mother of three and kept her singing to more local venues. She was a frequent soloist at Mt. Zion Hebrew Temple and The House of Hope Presbyterian Church of St. Paul. She also soloed with the St. Paul Symphony and Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and gave voice lessons to numerous students in her Anoka home.

Met Opera Winners

Library Minute

Opera is a musical phenomenon that has enchanted the world for several centuries. It’s an art form that has continued through economic disasters, and social and political upheavals. The craft rules have been written and rewritten, transforming along with society. As a cultural touchstone, opera provides fertile ground for creative storytelling. Check out these fiction titles that all prominently feature opera.