Betty Jones facts for kids

Betty Jones was an American opera singer known for her powerful voice. She was a "spinto soprano," which means she had a strong, bright voice that could handle both dramatic and lyrical opera roles. Betty Jones was born in 1930 in Plainfield, New Jersey. She started her professional singing career later in life, at the age of 41. She passed away in Norwalk, Connecticut, on November 7, 2019, when she was 89 years old.

Early Life and First Steps

Betty Jones studied art at Sarah Lawrence College. Even though she studied art, her passion was singing. She began her professional opera career in 1971. Her first performances were in two smaller roles in the opera Louise with the Boston Opera Group. Soon after, she sang the role of Marianne in Der Rosenkavalier with the Chicago Lyric Opera.

Major Opera Roles

Betty Jones quickly moved on to bigger roles. Her first main role was playing Aida in the opera Aida for the Seattle Opera. This was a very important step in her career.

She made her debut at the New York City Opera in 1974. There, she sang the role of Amelia in Un ballo in maschera. She returned to the New York City Opera in 1976 to perform other famous roles. These included the Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro and Eva in Die Meistersinger.

International Performances

Betty Jones also performed in many places outside the United States. She sang in Mexico City and Wiesbaden, Germany. She also performed in the United States with Opera/South and the Opera Orchestra of New York. One notable performance was at Carnegie Hall, a very famous concert venue in New York City.

Farewell to Opera

In 1982, Betty Jones performed the role of Odabella in Attila for the City Opera. This performance marked her farewell to the opera stage. She decided to retire from singing professionally after discovering she had a hearing loss.