Leontyne Price American opera singer, owner of one of the best sopranos of her generation Date of Birth: 10.02.1927 Country: USA

1. Biography of Leontyne Price
2. Early Life and Education
3. Broadway and International Success
4. Classical Opera Career
5. Metropolitan Opera and Later Career

Biography of Leontyne Price

Leontyne Price, an American opera singer, possessed one of the finest sopranos of her generation. Her magnificent voice, exceptionally flexible and with a vast range from low A to high D, combined with her outstanding acting talent. Price's greatest successes were associated with the operas of Verdi, particularly Aida.

Early Life and Education

Mary Leontyne Price was born on February 10, 1927, in Laurel, Massachusetts. She studied at the Central State College in Ohio and graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

Broadway and International Success

In 1952, American composer Virgil Thomson invited Price to participate in the Broadway production of his musical "Four Saints in Three Acts," which was also showcased at the International Arts Festival. As a result, Price received the role of Bess in George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" and embarked on a world tour performing in this role.

Classical Opera Career

Price's path as a classical opera singer began in 1955 on television, where she performed the role of Tosca in Puccini's opera of the same name. She made her opera stage debut in 1957 in the American premiere of Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites", portraying the character of Madame Lidoine, produced by the San Francisco Opera Association.

At the invitation of Herbert von Karajan, Price participated in productions of operas by Verdi and Mozart at the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.

Metropolitan Opera and Later Career

In 1961, Price made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Leonora in Verdi's "Il Trovatore" and soon became one of the brightest stars of the company. In 1966, she portrayed the role of Cleopatra in Samuel Barber's opera "Antony and Cleopatra," which was specially written for the opening of the new Metropolitan Opera building at Lincoln Center.

By the mid-1990s, Price had received 20 Grammy Awards for Best Recordings and was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors.