Maria von Trapp was the matriarch of the Austrian singing family, Trapp Family Singers. As a young woman, she married widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp. He already had seven children from his first wife, and the couple had three more. The family began singing together at events and became a popular touring act called the Trapp Family Singers.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was a German-born Austro-British singer. Counted among the most important singers of lieder, Schwarzkopf is best remembered for her performances of the operas of Richard Strauss, Wagner, and Mozart. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest sopranos, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf won many prestigious awards including the Edison Award and the Lilli Lehmann Medal.
Born Gertrude Wirschinger, Austrian singer Penny McLean initially sang in a duo with her husband, Holger Münzer. She later scored disco hits such as Fly, Robin, Fly, with her trio Silver Convention, and also launched hit solo tracks such as Lady Bump. She has also penned books on spiritual and numerology.
Austrian-American opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink was one of the major interpreters of the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss from the pre-World War I period. Her best-known role was perhaps that of Erda in Wagner’s Siegfried. She also delivered charitable performances and appeared on radio shows too.
Austrian actor and singer Erika Pluhar had begun her career with the Burgtheater and later gained fame with films such as Fireworks. She was initially married to a businessman who was later convicted of multiple murders. She and her second husband, songwriter André Heller, often collaborated on songs.
Fritzi Massary was an Austrian-American actress and soprano singer. One of the most popular operetta singers in Vienna and Berlin, Massary also performed in places like London and Belgium. Fritzi Massary is also remembered for her collaboration with popular composers like Oscar Straus and Noël Coward.
Susi Lanner was an Austrian actress best remembered for playing important roles in German productions between 1932 and 1937. After starting her career as a dancer and singer in revues and operettas, Susi Lanner went on to establish herself as an actress. Some of her best known movies include Love Conquers All, The Daring Swimmer, and Game on Board.