Iaunzem, Irma

Iaunzem, Irma Petrovna

 

Born Sept. 15 (27), 1897, in Minsk; died Apr. 17, 1975, in Moscow. Soviet Russian singer (mezzo-soprano) and teacher. People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1957). Member of the CPSU from 1954.

Iaunzem studied at the Petrograd Conservatory from 1915 to 1917. In the mid-1920’s she became one of the first in the USSR to perform songs of various peoples in their native languages. She toured many countries. She taught at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Moscow Music School from 1950. Iaunzem published the collection Revolutionary Songs of Many Peoples (1931). She was the author of the book Man Goes After a Song (1968).

Iaunzen was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and various medals.