Shirley Verrett American opera singer, mezzo-soprano Date of Birth: 31.05.1931 Country: USA

1. Biography of Shirley Verrett
2. Early Life and Education
3. Operatic Career
4. Notable Roles and Achievements
5. Later Life and Legacy

Biography of Shirley Verrett

Shirley Verrett, an American opera singer, was born on May 31, 1931, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was a mezzo-soprano who also had the ability to successfully perform soprano roles, which led to her being known for her soprano sfogato or free soprano technique. Verrett's international career spanned from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, and she gained particular popularity for her performances of works by Verdi and Donizetti.

Early Life and Education

Shirley Verrett was an African American who grew up in a Seventh-day Adventist family in Los Angeles, California. She sang in the church choir and demonstrated her musical abilities at a young age. However, her family did not support her aspirations to become a singer. Nevertheless, Shirley later traveled to New York and studied at the Juilliard School.

Operatic Career

In 1961, Verrett won the national auditions for the Metropolitan Opera. Her operatic debut took place in 1957 in Benjamin Britten's "The Rape of Lucretia." In 1958, she made her first appearance at the New York City Opera as Irina in Kurt Weill's "Lost in the Stars." Verrett made her European debut in Cologne in 1959 and received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Carmen in Spoleto in 1962. She reprised the role at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1963 and at the New York City Opera in 1964. Verrett's first performance at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, took place in 1966 as Ulrica in "Un ballo in maschera."

Notable Roles and Achievements

In 1962, Shirley participated in the first televised concert from the Lincoln Center and performed in the first televised concert from Leonard Bernstein's "Young People's Concerts" series. In 1968, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Carmen, and in 1969, she performed at La Scala in Milan in a production of "Samson and Dalila." Verrett's mezzo-soprano roles included Cassandra and Didon in Berlioz's "Les Troyens," Amneris in Verdi's "Aida," Eboli in "Don Carlos," Azucena in "Il trovatore," Elisabetta I in Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda," Leonora in "La favorita," Orpheus in Gluck's "Orpheus and Eurydice," Neocles in "Le siège de Corinthe," and Sinaide in "Mosè in Egitto." Many of these performances have been preserved in recordings.

Starting from the 1970s, Verrett began taking on soprano roles, including Tosca, Norma, Lady Macbeth, Judith in Bartok's "Bluebeard's Castle," Aida, Leonore in "Fidelio," and Desdemona in "Otello."

Later Life and Legacy

In 1990, Verrett sang Didon in "Les Troyens" at the grand opening of the Opéra Bastille in Paris. She added the role of Santuzza in "Cavalleria rusticana" to her repertoire in 1990 and made her Broadway debut in a revival of "Carousel" in 1994. In 1996, Verrett began teaching voice at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

In 2003, her autobiography "I Never Walked Alone" was published, in which she candidly shared her experiences as an African American soloist striving to establish a reputation in the world of American classical music.

Shirley Verrett passed away on November 5, 2010, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 80, due to a heart attack after a long illness.