Elisabeth Schumann was a lyric soprano born in Meran (then part of Austria-Hungary) in 1888 who began her professional career in the early 20th century with engagements at major German and Austrian opera houses, specialising in opera and Lieder. Her repertoire centred on Mozart, Richard Strauss and German art song, characterised by a light, silvery timbre and refined phrasing, and she later moved into teaching and recording, contributing to interpretations of late-Romantic and early-20th-century vocal repertoire.
