List of operatic contraltos

The contralto voice in opera and classical music has a range which typically lies between the F below middle C (F3) to two Fs above middle C (F5). In the lower and upper extremes, some contralto voices can sing from the E below middle C (E3) to two B♭s above middle C (B♭5). The contralto voice has the lowest tessitura of the female voices and is noted for its rich and deep vocal timbre. True operatic contraltos are very rare. The following is a list of contralto singers who have regularly performed unamplified classical or operatic music in concert halls and/or opera houses.

A–L



 * Eunice Alberts (1927–2012)
 * Marietta Alboni (1823 –1894)
 * Marian Anderson (1897–1993)
 * Fanny Anitúa (1887–1968)
 * Cecil Arden (1894–1989)
 * Germaine Bailac (1881–1977)
 * Fedora Barbieri (1920–2003)
 * Eula Beal (1919–2008)
 * Marianne Brandt (1842–1921)
 * Karin Branzell (1891–1974)
 * Muriel Brunskill (1899–1980)
 * Clara Butt (1872–1936)
 * AnnaMaria Cardinalli (born 1979)
 * Marie-Louise Cébron-Norbens (1888–1958)
 * Lili Chookasian (1921–2012)
 * Belle Cole (1845 or 1853 –1905)
 * Kate Condon (1877–1941)
 * Clorinda Corradi (1804–1877)
 * Christine Nielson Dreier (1866–1926)
 * Kathleen Ferrier (1912–1953)
 * Maureen Forrester (1930–2010)
 * Delphine Galou (born 1977)
 * Anna Girò (circa 1710 or 1711–1748 or later)
 * Louise Homer (1871–1947)
 * Edna Indermaur (1892–1985)
 * Jenny Twitchell Kempton (1835–1921)
 * Gillian Knight (born 1934)
 * Anna Larsson (born 1966)
 * Marie-Nicole Lemieux (born 1975)
 * Gisela Litz (1922–2017)
 * Louise Kirkby Lunn (1873–1930)

M–Z

 * Adelaide Malanotte (1785–1832)
 * Bernadette Manca di Nissa (born 1954)
 * Marietta Marcolini (c. 1780–1855)
 * Margaret Matzenauer (1881–1963), who sang mostly mezzo-soprano roles though
 * Antonia Merighi (died 1764)
 * Sara Mingardo (born 1961)
 * Sigrid Onégin (1889–1943)
 * Rosmunda Pisaroni (1793–1872)
 * Ewa Podleś (1952–2024)
 * Marie Powers (1902–1973)
 * Sonia Prina (born 1975)
 * Maria Radner (1981—2015)
 * Geltrude Righetti (1793–1862)
 * Anastasia Robinson (c. 1692–1755)
 * Sofia Scalchi (1850–1922)
 * Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861–1936)
 * Annice Sidwells (1902–2001)
 * Monica Sinclair (1925–2002)
 * Nathalie Stutzmann (born 1965)
 * Hilary Summers
 * Vittoria Tesi (1700–1775)
 * Kerstin Thorborg (1896–1970)
 * Claramae Turner (1920–2013)
 * Francesca Vanini-Boschi (?–1744)
 * Lucia Elizabeth Vestris (1797–1856)
 * Helen Watts (1927–2009)
 * Portia White (1911–1968)
 * Marta Wittkowska (1882–1977)