Biography- single page print version

Rita Loving was born in New York City (Manhattan). She lived there until 13 years of age. She then moved to Washington D. C. where at the age of 14, had her own radio program, singing and accompanying herself on the piano with a baritone. She participated of the Musical life of Washington, winning several local contests and appearing on TV in Wash. and New York City. As a teen-ager, she accompanied professional singers in several Washington D.C Voice Studios. At ages 15 and 16, she became a piano soloist with the National Symphony under Howard Mitchell.

Ms. Loving attended Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, receiving her Bachelor of Music in Piano with John Elvin and Vocal Studies with Howard Hatton. After that she received a Master of Music at Manhattan School of Music in NYC and a Certificate at the Opera School as a singer, in Mannes College of Music.

While she was studying in New York City with Marie Louise Wagner, she was able to support herself by accompanying students of famous opera singers in their teaching studios, i.e. Rose Bampton, Giovanni Martinelli, Raymond Buckingham, John Chickering, Rocco Pandiscio, Rosa Ponselle, among many others.

After graduation, she worked as a guest coach at New York City Opera and Memphis Opera in the US.
She then left for Europe to obtain a position as opera-coach and singer. Beginning in Flensburg at the Städtische Bühne, she went on to Wiesbaden at the Hessische Staatstheater, then to Enschede, Opera Forum, and the Nederlands Stichtung in Amsterdam. From 1978 until her retirement in 2001, she was a permanent ensemble member of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. During this time she was a regular coach and accompanist with the Bavarian State Radio for opera recordings and concerts (Teldec Records) and besides accompanying numerous well-known and lesser-known singers in concerts, she played and sang many solo concerts herself of classical Lieder, as well as serving the “lighter Muse,” performing Gershwin, Porter and repertoire from the “great American Musicals” all over Europe. In 1994 she received a Citation in Honor of her Outstanding Service to the Bavarian State Opera and the Germany.

Between the seasons at the Bavarian State Opera, her vacations were spent as a member of the faculty at several Opera Programs. These include: The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) at Graz, Austria; Israel Vocal Arts Institute (Program Head, Joan Dornemann) in Tel Aviv, Israel: Bayreuther Seminar, Bayreuth, Germany; Opera School at Highlands House (with Arlene Randazzo, Philip Langridge and others) in Essex, England; Opera Seminar für Kunst und Darstellung in Munich, Germany (5 years on the faculty). Since 2002 she has been a regular faculty member of the Corso Estivo per giovani Cantanti Lirici (colleagues including Carlos Montané, Sylvia Stone, Linda Roark-Strummer, William Matteuzzi) in Piobbico and Urbania, Italy.

Ms. Loving has given Master Classes at Manhattan School of Music, NYC; Mannes School of Music in NYC; Oberlin Conservatory, Oberlin, Ohio; University of Wisconsin and Skylight Opera in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She has over 30 years of experience of Vocal Pedagogy and Musical Coaching in English, German, French and Italian.

She continues performing as a pianist-singer, enjoying working in locations varying from piano bars to concert halls, entertaining with great Oldies of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Ms. Loving is at home in Munich, Germany. She was married to singer-sculptor Maurice Stern, whose children grew up with the couple in New York City and Germany. Each of the children have made careers in the Music Business: Heidi is a well-known Rock and Pop singer known as Jennifer Rush who lives in NYC and London; Bobby Stern is a well known jazz saxophonist now living in Mallorca; and Stevie Stern is a guitarist and singer, living and performing in New York City.