Black opera performers have consistently broken new ground and shaped history. In a time when racial justice is at the forefront, it's crucial to recognize the Black singers and artists who have defied barriers in the opera industry.
Here are some of the most influential figures who have left an indelible mark on the world of opera:
Pioneering Voices
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, a soprano, challenged the United States’ music scene and racist stereotypes when she embarked on a national tour in 1851, causing her to be known as the country’s first Black pop star. On March 31, 1853, she sang at the Metropolitan Hall in New York City and impressed the audience with her range and vocal power.
Theodore Drury founded an opera company in his name that created opportunities for Black singers and artists in New York during a time when mainstream audiences and opera houses were hostile to their participation.
Jules Bledsoe made his professional music debut in Aeolian Hall in New York on April 20, 1924.
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Marian Anderson, the pioneering contralto, fought throughout her career to break barriers and make music history. Though Anderson had success in high-profile voice competitions in the mid-1920s, she was infrequently recognized on American stages until a string of successful European tours between 1930-35.
On Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, Marian Anderson performed a historic open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial after the Daughters of the American Revolution had barred her from singing to an integrated audience at Constitution Hall. This decision angered First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who subsequently renounced her membership and invited Anderson to give an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Throughout her career, Anderson continued to make history. She was the first Black artist to sing a leading role with the Metropolitan Opera, served as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and sang at the March on Washington.
Camilla Williams made her debut as the title role in the New York City Opera’s performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. This made her the first Black person to receive a regular contract with a major American opera company.
George Shirley became the first Black singer to receive the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In a career that spanned five decades, Shirley performed more than 80 operatic roles in major opera houses around the globe with many of the world’s most renowned conductors.
Groundbreaking Performances
Leontyne Price, one of Brandon’s inspirations, made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Leonora in Verdi’s Il trovatore on January 27, 1961. She received one of the longest ovations in Met history, which Price’s friends described as lasting 42 minutes. While four other Black singers preceded Price with leading roles at the Met (Marian Anderson, Robert McFerrin, Gloria Davy and Mattiwilda Dobbs), Price was the first to open a Met season and become a leading star. American lyric soprano Leontyne Price, 93, is among the first African American opera stars to have achieved international success. In May 1960, Price made her first appearance at Milan’s La Scala as Aida in Verdi’s great opera.
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Grace Bumbry became the first Black person to appear in a major role at the Bayreuth Festival, performing as Venus in Tannhäuser in 1961. 42 years ago,Simon Estes was the first Black male to sing a leading role at the Bayreuth Festival with his performance in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman.
Modern Opera Stars
Here are some modern Black opera singers who are making waves in the opera world today:
- J’Nai Bridges: A mezzo-soprano who chose music over basketball, Bridges earned a Master of Music from Curtis Institute of Music after graduating from Manhattan School of Music. In 2015, Bridges premiered the role of Carmen in the new opera Bel Canto with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Russell Thomas: A tenor who didn’t pursue opera until he was eighteen, Thomas has since performed at The Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Royal Opera House, amongst others.
- Janai Brugger: Brugger won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2012. In the same year, she won the zarzuela prize and the “Prize of the Public” at Operalia, The World Opera Competition.
- Lawrence Brownlee: His prolific opera career includes several astounding roles, most notably, the famously challenging role of Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment, which includes an aria that requires no fewer than nine high Cs.
- Pretty Yende: South African soprano Pretty Yende has shot to fame at lightning speed. She first fell in love with opera aged 16, after hearing Delibes’ Flower Duet on British Airways’ famous TV ad.
- John Holiday: Holiday possess one of the rarest voice types: countertenor. Holiday was first exposed to opera in the late ’90s after seeing mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves at the Houston Symphony.
- Morris Robinson: It wasn’t until he was 30 that he pursued a professional music career, auditioning for the chorus at Boston Lyric Opera. He instead was handed a solo role. The rest -as they say- is history.
- Taylor Raven: Last seen on our stage in Hansel and Gretel, Raven joined our Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program in the 2017/18 season. She made her house debut as Vanderdendur in Candide.
These are just a few of the many Black artists who continue to shape the world of opera. Their talent, dedication, and perseverance serve as an inspiration to us all.
Roland Hayes was born in Curryville, GA, in 1887, to parents who were former slaves. At an early age, Hayes sang African American spirituals that he learned from his elders. Hayes received vocal training with a local organist and choir director in Chattanooga, who introduced him to recordings of great singers of the time, including Enrico Caruso. In Hayes’s own words, Caruso’s voice ” opened the heavens for me….the beauty of what could be done with the voice just overwhelmed me.” He was determined to make singing a career and pursued studies at Fisk University, joining the Fisk Jubilee Singers. “Initially rebuffed by professional managers because of his race, Hayes arranged and promoted his own concerts, steadily gaining recognition while touring from coast to coast. In 1920 he traveled to Europe, where he gave a command performance for British royalty and won over a hostile crowd in Berlin.
Jessye Norman credited Marian Anderson as one of her earliest inspirations. Norman once recounted, “At age 10 I heard, for the first time, the singing of Marian Anderson on a recording. I listened, thinking, ‘This can’t be just a voice, so rich and beautiful.’ It was a revelation. After studying at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Norman attended Howard University, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Michigan where she earned her Master’s degree in 1968 (and an Honorary Doctorate in 1987). Norman remained fiercely individual in her repertoire throughout her career. In a 1987 interview with the New York Times, she explained, “I’m not interested in so-called mainstream repertory…To sing roles with which I have no empathy would be wrong. I sing ‘Aida’ because it’s right for me. I sing Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss because I love them. But what really interests me is the music of Monteverdi, Rameau, Purcell, Berlioz, Stravinsky. This was clearly reflected in the immensity and variety of works Norman performed in Hill Auditorium, with recitals that ranged from Handel to Berg on the same program.
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Leontyne Price was captivated by music from a young age, listening to the choir at St. Paul Methodist Church and beginning piano lessons at age 5. She attended Juilliard, and subsequently had a thriving early career on Broadway in various productions including Ira Gershwin’s 1952 revival of Porgy and Bess. Two years later, Price made her UMS debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra. About the performance, UMS Programming Director Michael Kondziolka wrote, “Price had a double debut when she first came to UMS for the May Festival in 1957. Beyond her performances of Aida, Price is remembered as the first Black singer to become a leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera.
Paul Robeson was only the third African American student admitted to Rutgers University, where he was both a football star and valedictorian of his class. While continuing law studies at Columbia University, Robeson explored acting - which would propel his life over the next decades as a theatrical performer and concert singer. Alongside his artistic career, Robeson became a fierce warrior for social justice. He notably launched an antilynching crusade to put pressure on President Truman as new legislation remained unpopular in the South.
Denyce Graves is an opera star of the highest renown. The American mezzo, who performs around the world with the greatest orchestras, made her Royal Opera House debut in 1994 as Carmen. She does an exquisite ‘Habanera’, with her expressive voice and wonderfully dynamic stage presence.
Kathleen Battle is a coloratura and lyric soprano, who enjoyed many years of success at the Met. But after being fired from the company in 1994, Battle moved away from opera and into jazz and spirituals, carving a new path in the music of Gershwin, Vangelis and Stevie Wonder. In the height of her opera career, Battle was known for her quotably ‘diva extraordinaire’ moments.
Sir Willard White is one of the most respected opera stars of the last 40 years.
Nicole Heaston sang the role of the Countess Almaviva in Utah Opera’s 2016 production of The Marriage of Figaro and was scheduled to sing the title role of Thais in the May 2020 production that was cancelled due to COVID-19).
Marian Anderson, Roland Hayes, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, Paul Robeson, and George Shirley are just a few of many Black trailblazers in the world of opera who overcame countless barriers in the face of adversity. UMS is honored to be a part of their musical history. Please join us in celebrating the stories and voices of these magnificent performers.
If you’ve seen the 1951 film version of Show Boat, you’ll likely recall tears streaming down your cheeks during the scene in which William Warfield sings ‘Ol’ Man River’ with the most phenomenal power, feeling and resonance.
Jamaican-born, British bass-baritone Sir Willard White is one of the most respected opera stars of the last 40 years.
Lawrence Brownlee is an international tenor, at the top of his game. He has been called “one of the world’s leading bel canto stars” (The Guardian), and the sparkling clarity of his higher register is renowned in opera houses worldwide.
