additional roles such as Abigaille in Verdi's Nabucco, Maddalena in Giordano's Andrea Chénier and Cherubini's Médée. "Tom Schippers took me to Scala to understudy Callas in Medea. I figured it was good experience, and I needed the money, so I did all the rehearsals, and she came back and canceled my performance. She paid off the whole orchestra, the chorus, even me! The whole house was dark, because she didn't want me to sing in her stead. We actually became friends, because I was this little nothing, and we spoke all the time. As a young singer, there was nothing to be done. I wanted to sing leading roles in leading houses, and I did." In November 1979, Ross was forced to stop stage performances, following a diagnosis of Bell's palsy. She sang in concert performances during the 1980s. She underwent surgery with muscle and nerve transfer to stabilise her face, which eventually allowed for a return to live performance in 1996. Ross died on March 6, 2020, of kidney failure. References External links Elinor Ross Biography belcantosociety.org Ken Benson: The Graceful Elinor Ross csmusic.net February 1, 2012 1932 births American operatic sopranos Musicians from Tampa, Florida 2020 deaths Singers from Florida Syracuse University alumni 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women