Anna Maria Alberghetti
A child prodigy soprano who conquered Carnegie Hall at 13 and later charmed Broadway, winning a Tony for her whirlwind performance in 'Carnival!'.
Born 1936 (age 90)·Italian–born American operatic singer and actress·Birthday: May 15·The Silent Generation
Biography
Anna Maria Alberghetti's voice was a discovered treasure in war-torn Italy; a prodigious soprano, she was performing in concerts to support her family by the age of six. Her father, a cellist, recognized her gift and orchestrated her early career, which led to a breathtaking American debut at Carnegie Hall when she was just thirteen. Hollywood soon called, and she transitioned into a film starlet in the 1950s, often cast for her operatic purity and delicate beauty in musicals and light comedies. But her true home became the Broadway stage. In 1961, she leapt into the demanding, virtually non-singing role of the innocent puppet-turned-girl Lili in 'Carnival!', delivering a performance of such captivating physicality and charm that it won her a Tony Award. Her journey from European concert halls to the heart of American theater marks the path of a performer who evolved gracefully from wunderkind to accomplished artist.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Anna was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her starring role in 'Carnival!' (1961).
- Made her professional concert debut at age six and performed at Carnegie Hall at age thirteen.
- Starred in a number of Hollywood films in the 1950s, including 'The Last Command' and 'Ten Thousand Bedrooms'.
Did You Know?
She was a frequent guest on television variety shows in the 1960s and 70s, including multiple appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'.
She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in the early 1960s.
Her sister, Carla Alberghetti, was also an actress who appeared in films and television.
She performed for Allied troops in Italy during World War II as a child.
“I was a child who sang, and that singing became my life.”
