Tulsa Opera's matron dies

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A CAREER IN MUSIC
Ione Sassano Crowder: She also was a frequent guest on KTUL radio and hosted a prime-time show on KOTV.

By Staff Reports
Published: 5/31/2008 2:08 AM
Last Modified: 5/31/2008 2:23 AM

Ione Sassano Crowder, co-founder of the Tulsa Opera as well as a singer and voice coach, died May 25 from pneumonia-related complications. She was 99.

Born June 21, 1908, to Grace (Williamson) and Paul Sanger in Tulsa, she graduated from Central High School.

In 1927, she won the talent competition in the Miss Tulsa Beauty Contest.

She attended Oklahoma City University, where she took voice and foreign language courses.

In 1935, she moved to New York City and started her operatic career by taking voice lessons with a conductor for the Metropolitan Opera.

She appeared in numerous productions at Radio City Music Hall and was a featured soloist.

Ione met her first husband, Ralph Sassano, while performing at Radio City, and they later toured together with the American City Opera Company. She performed as Gilda in "Rigoletto," Violetta in "La Traviata" and Rosina in "The Barber of Seville."

After three American tours with the company, she and Sassano married in 1945.

While visiting her parents in 1948, she and her husband gave a concert at the Philbrook Art Center. Immediately afterward, the couple were implored by the local music community to stay in town and start an opera company.

So they gave up their lives and careers in New York to take on the new challenge in Tulsa.

They started an opera study club with an eye toward a production of "La Traviata" later in the year.

On Dec. 4, 1948, at Central High

School, the Tulsa Opera gave its premiere production of "La Traviata." Spectators spent from 50 cents to $1.50 to see Ione as Violetta and Ralph as Alfredo.

The Sassanos also were members of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, setting up a studio where they taught voice to local singers.

Ione was a frequent guest on KTUL's "Somewhere a Voice" radio program. In 1950, she had a Friday night, half-hour prime-time show on KOTV.

After Sassano resigned as Tulsa Opera's artistic director and general manager in December 1953, both sought other employment. The couple divorced in 1955.

Ione became the Philbrook's education curator that same year. She later worked as a college admissions counselor before retiring in 1965, the year she also married John Crowder.

During her retirement, she purchased season tickets to the opera and supported local cultural events. She was also a lifetime member of Tulsa Opera Guild and Women's Association of the Tulsa Philharmonic Society.

On occasion, Ione gave short performances for Hyechka, among other organizations.

John Crowder died in 1979.

In 1997, she suffered a stroke and moved to Austin, Texas, to be closer to her son and his family.

She is survived by her son, Don Sassano of Austin; and two grandchildren.

By Staff Reports

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