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Margarita Voites
Estonian soprano Margarita Voites was born Margarita Lombak in Moscow on 30 October 1936 to parents of Estonian and Polish-Russian origin. Initially she studied bibliography at Tartu State University but was 'discovered' singing the leading role in a university production of the operetta Das Veilchen vom Montmartre by Imre Kálmán, and was persuaded to study singing with Linda Saul at Tallinn Conservatory.
She was a soloist at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu (1964-69) and at the Estonian Theatre in Tallinn (1969-90). She appeared internationally, and her roles included Frasquita in Carmen, Violetta in La traviata, Gilda in Rigoletto, Margarethe in Faust, Xenia in Boris Godunov and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She also appeared in a series of opera films.
She retired from theatre work in 1990 but continued singing in churches and concert halls until 2009, and released a CD, Ave Maria, in 2005. A compilation CD, Prima donna assoluta, was released in 2007.
Margarita Voites died on 20 June 2024, aged eighty-seven.