Education

Contralto

The lowest female voice, similar in range to a clarinet. Contraltos usually sing the roles of older females or special character parts such as witches and old gypsies. The range is two octaves from F below middle C to the top line of the treble clef. A true contralto is very rare – some believe they don’t exist at all!

Mezzo roles can be classified in several different ways, depending on the size and agility of voice needed to sing it. Below are three different kinds of mezzo roles. Click on the links to learn more and to watch samples of each.

Famous Contraltos: Marian Anderson, Madame Ernestine Schumann-Heink