Maartje Offers (Contralto) (27 February 1891, Koudekerk (aan den Rijn) – 28 January 1944, Tholen)

She studied at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag under Arnold Spoel and Mrs. Hekking, then with Pauline de Haan-Manifarges in Rotterdam. In 1910 she made her debut as a concert singer in Leiden. In 1917 she made her stage debut at the Théâtre de la Haye as Dalila in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’ by C. Saint-Saëns. Then she sang at several Dutch opera societies and guested in 1920 as a partner of Jacques Urlus in Paris as Dalila. In the 1924-1925 season she had at La Scala a significant success as Erda and Fricka in R. Wagner's Ring Cycle. She appeared also at the Teatro Fenice in Venice and undertook an Australia tour. In 1926 she sang in New York in the 2-nd symphony of Gustav Mahler under Willem Mengelberg. She had a huge success as a concert singer in London. In 1928 she returned to her Dutch native country, where she appeared only seldom at the concert hall. In 1936 she sang in Amsterdam the part of Fricka in "Walküre". In 1940 she gave the last concert at the Hague. She was married the lawyer van Buuren, from whom she separated in 1928. She died during the Second World War on the island Tholen. She found her last place of rest in the Hague. 

Chronology of some appearances

1917 Théâtre de la Haye

1924-1925 Milano La Scala

1926 New York

RECORDINGS FOR SALE 

HMV, Milano 1923-12-07
Aida (Verdi): Fu la sorte dell'armee with Poli-Randacio DB728 (2-054137)
Aida (Verdi): Pietà ti prendi with  Poli-Randacio DB728 (2-054138)

HMV, Milano 1924-05-06
Rienzi (Wagner): Gerechter Gott DB756 (2-043034)
Rienzi (Wagner): In seiner Blut DB756 (2-043035)

HMV, London 1926-01-20
Matthäuspassion (Bach): Erbarme dich, mein Gott, pt 1 DB907 (2-043046)

HMV, London 1926-09-22
Die Ehre Gottes in der Natur (Beethoven) DA1067 (7-43090)

HMV, London 1926-09-23
Orfeo ed Eurydice (Gluck): Che farò DB1185 (2-053272) 

HMV, London 1927-08-22
Favorita (Donizetti): O mio Fernando DB1185 (2-053301)

HMV, London 1927-08-23
Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Seine Raben beide D1577 (2-043075)

HMV, London 1927-08-29
Rinaldo (Händel): Lascia ch'io piango DA1067 (7-53120)

HMV, London 1927-10-25
Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Geh' heim with Austral D1578 (2-044050)

HMV, London 1928-02-16
Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Seit er von dir geschieden D1576 (2-043095)

HMV, London 1928-03-19
Don Carlo (Verdi): O don fatale DB1158 (2-053316)
Trovatore (Verdi): Condotta ell'era in ceppi DB1158 (2-053315)