Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

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February 10, 1927 in Laurel, MS

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Vocal

 

Leontyne Price was an American soprano opera singer who was born on February 10, 1927, in Laurel, Mississippi. She was the youngest of four children and grew up in a family that valued education and music. Her father, James Price, was a carpenter and her mother, Kate Baker Price, was a midwife. Leontyne showed an early interest in music and began singing in her church choir at a young age. Leontyne attended Oak Park Vocational High School in Chicago, where she studied voice with Florence Page Kimball. She went on to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she was a student of Florence Page Kimball and Margaret Harshaw. While at Juilliard, Leontyne won the Marian Anderson Award, which allowed her to study in Europe. In 1952, Leontyne made her debut at the San Francisco Opera as Madame Lidoine in Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites. She went on to perform with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where she made her debut in 1961 as Leonora in Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore. Leontyne became one of the most celebrated sopranos of her time, known for her powerful voice and dramatic performances. Leontyne's most famous roles included Aida in Verdi's Aida, Cio-Cio-San in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and Bess in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. She also performed in concert and recital, singing works by composers such as Richard Strauss, Samuel Barber, and Aaron Copland. Leontyne received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. In 1964, she became the first African American to sing a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera when she performed Aida. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 and the National Medal of Arts in 1985. She was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1974 and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 1994. Leontyne retired from performing in 1985, but continued to be involved in the music world as a teacher and mentor. She taught at the University of Michigan and the Juilliard School, and was a guest lecturer at universities and music festivals around the world. Leontyne Price passed away on February 10, 2022, at the age of 95. She left behind a legacy as one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century, and a trailblazer for African American artists in the classical music world.

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