Background and career
Maria Sophia Coertse (12 June 1932 – 27 April 2026) was a South African soprano who appeared professionally as Mimi Coertse. Born in Durban, she began her vocal studies in 1949. She moved to Europe in 1953, first to England and later to the Netherlands and Austria. Coertse made her debut in opera in 1955 in Parsifal, and continued to perform with various opera companies until 1978. Coertse attained the rank of Kammersängerin, and received the Decoration for Meritorious Services, the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, and an honorary doctorate in philosophy from the University of Pretoria, among others. She was married three times and had two adopted children. Coertse died in April 2026 at the age of 93.
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