Grace Bumbry
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Biography
Opera singer Grace Bumbry â born January 4, 1937, in St. Louis Missouri â was considered one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of her generation and was the first African American to perform on stage at the Bayreuth Festival in 1961. Growing up in a modest household, she began taking piano lessons at the age of seven. After seeing opera singer Marian Anderson in concert, Grace Bumbry decided that she wanted to pursue a career as a singer. After winning a talent contest at the age of 17, she was denied a scholarship at the St. Louis Institute of Music because of her race. She was then given the opportunity to perform on Arthur Godfreyâs Talent Scouts radio program, which then led to the opportunity to study at Boston University College of Fine Arts. Grace Bumbry then studied under German dramatic soprano Lotte Lehmann at Northwest University in Evanston, Illinois and then in Santa Barbara, California in the late 1950s. She also took summer courses at the Academy of Music in Montecito, California. She then studied in Paris, France under Pierre Bernac. Grace Bumbry successfully auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera in New York and made her debut in Paris in 1960 in Verdiâs Aida. Signing with the Basel Opera in Switzerland, she appeared in various productions over the next four seasons including Bizetâs Carmen, Saint-Saënsâ Samson et Delila, Gluckâs Orfeo ed Euridice, and Verdiâs Macbeth. Grace Bumbry came to international prominence in 1961 when she was cast by Wieland Wagner â the grandson of composer Richard Wagner â to perform as Venus in a production of Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Festival. This performance was significant since she was the first African American to perform on the festivalâs stage. Nicknamed âBlack Venus,â she returned to perform on the stage in 1962 and 1963. After a visit to the White House, Grace Bumbry she then performed in many productions at prestigious venues and festivals around the world. Her most famous productions included the musical Carmen Jones, which took place in 1962 at the Covent Garden Opera in London, England. In 1965, she appeared as Princess Eboli in Verdiâs Don Carlos at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1970s, she tackled soprano roles in Mascagniâs Cavalliera Rusticana, R. Straussâ Salomé, Pucciniâs Tosca, Verdiâs Il trovatore and La forza del destino, JanáÄekâs Jenůfa, and many others. Along with her acclaimed performances, she used her influence in the 1990s to create the Grace Bumbry Black Musical Heritage Ensemble which dedicated itself to preserving and performing Negro spirituals. She also began judging competitions, teaching, and giving recitals. Grace Bumbry returned to opera in 2010 to perform Scott Joplinâs Treemonisha at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. She also performed in Bernsteinâs Candide in Berlin, Germany (2012) and Tchaikovskyâs Pique dame in Vienna, Austria (2013). Grace Bumbry suffered a heart attack in 2022 during a plane flight from her home in Vienna to New York, and never fully recovered. She died on May 7, 2023, at the age of 86. Her recorded legacy is preserved in original releases such as Grace Bumbry Singt Lieder von Schubert, Brahms, Wolf und Strauss (1962), Carmen Jones (1963), Verdi: Die Macht des Schicksals (1966), and Casta Diva (1970) as well as compilations including Early Recordings: Oratorio - Opera â Lieder (2005) and The Art of Grace Bumbry (2020).
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Brahms: Zigeunerlieder Op. 103 - 5. Brauner Bursche führt zum Tanze
- Auflösung, D.807: Auflösung, D.807
- Es muà ein Wunderbares sein, S. 314 by Grace Bumbry
- Vergebliches Ständchen, Op.84, No.4: Vergebliches Ständchen, Op.84, No.4 by Grace Bumbry
- "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht" Op.96, No.1: "Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht" Op.96, No.1 by Grace Bumbry
- Carmen - Opera in four acts, Act I: Quand je vous aimerai?...L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera) featuring Grace Bumbry
- Carmen - Opera in four acts, Act II: Les tringles des sistres tintaient featuring Grace Bumbry
- Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D.343: Litanei auf das Fest Allerseelen, D.343 by Grace Bumbry
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Vieni appaga il tuo consorte
- Fahrt zum Hades, D. 526: Fahrt zum Hades, D. 526
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Trionfi Amore
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Che faro senza Euridice
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Deh placatevi con me
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Chiamo il mio ben cosi
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Che puro ciel, che chiaro sol
- Orfeo ed Euridice: Mille pene
- Falla: El Amor Brujo - Canción del amor dolido featuring Grace Bumbry
- Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana - "Voi lo sapete, o mama" (Romanza) featuring Kulka János
- Canción del amor dolido featuring Grace Bumbry
- Carmen: Act 4 Scene I: Si tu m'aimes, Carmen featuring Grace Bumbry
- Carmen: Act 3 Scene VI: Quelques lignes plus bas featuring Grace Bumbry
- Verdi: Aida / Act 1: Ritorna vincitor! featuring Hans Löwlein
- Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 1: 7. Recit: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive - 8. Aria: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion - 9. Coro featuring London Symphony Orchestra
- Falla: El Amor Brujo - Final. Las campanas del amanecer featuring Grace Bumbry
