United States
•
14 views
Shirley Verrett
New Orleans, United States
Archival Overview
Acclaimed African American operatic soprano and mezzo-soprano renowned for her blazing vocal intensity, regal stage presence, and triumphant triumphs at La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Met.
Biographical Record
Shirley Verrett was born in New Orleans into a musical family of Seventh-day Adventists and graduated from the Juilliard School in New York. She made her European operatic debut in Cologne in 1959 and sang Bizet's Carmen at the Spoleto Festival in 1962.
Verrett conquered the world's greatest opera houses with unforgettable performances in Verdi, Donizetti, and Berlioz. At the Metropolitan Opera in 1973, she achieved opera legend status by singing both female leads (Cassandre and Didon) in Berlioz's 'Les Troyens' on opening night after Christa Ludwig fell ill.
Key Life Milestones
Tour de Force in Les Troyens at the Met
Sang both leading female roles in Berlioz's epic four-hour opera in a single evening, a historic feat of vocal stamina.
Historic Lady Macbeth at La Scala
Opened the La Scala season as Lady Macbeth conducted by Claudio Abbado, receiving rapturous acclaim from Italian critics.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
0 messages recordedLeave a Respectful Tribute
Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialAnn Arbor, United States