Maureen Forrester

 Maureen Forrester was a Canadian operatic contralto.  A late-bloomer, she made her concert debut in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Otto Klemperer in 1953. She made her New York City debut in Town Hall in 1956.  She also sang at the New York City Opera (from 1966) and the Met (from 1975). Her career took her around the world, singing and recording.  A skilled administrator, she served as Chair of the Canada Council from 1983 to 1988.  She became a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967, Order of Ontario in 1983, and Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2003..