Clamma Dale facts for kids

Clamma Churita Dale, born in 1948, is a talented American opera singer. She is known for her powerful soprano voice. One of her most famous roles was playing "Bess" in the 1976 Porgy and Bess opera. This show was a huge success, moving from the Houston Grand Opera to Broadway. For her amazing performance, Clamma Dale won a 1977 Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Tony Award. She also won a Grammy Award in 1978 for the Porgy & Bess soundtrack.

Early Life and Education

Clamma Dale grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her father was a jazz musician, and he taught her a lot about music from a young age. She learned to play many instruments, including the clarinet, cello, saxophone, piano, and guitar. She also sang in her school choir.

Clamma studied music at the Settlement Music School. She then went on to the famous Juilliard School, where she earned her bachelor's degree in music in 1970. She continued her studies at Juilliard and received her master's degree in 1975.

A Career in Music

After finishing her studies, Clamma Dale worked as a music teacher for first graders in Brooklyn. Soon, her singing career began to take off.

First Opera Performances

Clamma made her first professional opera appearance on February 20, 1973. She sang the role of St. Teresa I in Four Saints in Three Acts by Virgil Thomson. This performance took place at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and was put on by the Metropolitan Opera.

In 1974, she played the role of Bess for the first time at the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. The next year, in 1975, she won the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation's music competition. This led to her first big concert in New York City at Town Hall in May 1976.

Clamma Dale signed a three-year contract with the New York City Opera (NYCO) in 1975. She made her debut with the NYCO in October 1975 as Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann. She returned to the NYCO many times in the late 1970s. She performed roles like the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro and Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

Rise to Fame with Porgy and Bess

Clamma Dale became widely known in 1976 for her role as "Bess" in Porgy and Bess. This production started with the Houston Grand Opera. It then moved to Broadway, first at the Uris Theatre and then the Mark Hellinger Theatre, where it was very successful in 1976 and 1977.

For her outstanding performance, she won the 1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a musical. She also received a Tony Award nomination. In 1977, she performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic. She sang in the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Songfest in Washington D.C.. In 1978, she won a Grammy Award for Best Opera Performance for the Porgy & Bess soundtrack.

International Performances

In 1980, Clamma Dale sang at a special concert celebrating the 35th anniversary of the United Nations. Later that year, she performed the roles of Giulietta and Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann for her first time at the Opéra national du Rhin. She also sang Nedda for her debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. In Bogotá, Colombia, she performed the main role in Aida and Leonora in Il Trovatore.

In 1983, Dale made her first appearance at the Opéra National de Paris. She played Fata Morgana in The Love for Three Oranges. For the next few years, she worked in various opera houses in Paris. She sang roles such as Liu in Puccini's Turandot, Musetta in Puccini's La bohème, and Pamina in The Magic Flute. She also performed the challenging main role in Erzsebet, an opera by Charles Chaynes.

In 1986, she appeared at the Opéra national de Lorraine. In 1988, she sang Bess for her first performance at the Theater des Westens in Berlin. The next year, she played Liu at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Clamma Dale has also given many solo concerts. She performed at Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall, among other places. On February 12, 1978, she performed at the White House in a Gershwin evening with pianist Neil Stannard. In 1991, she sang the first performance of John Duffy's Time for Remembrance. This was with the Honolulu Symphony to remember the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Personal Life

Clamma Dale married Terry Shirk in 1981. Sadly, he passed away suddenly in 1987.

Recordings

• Porgy and Bess with the Houston Grand Opera, 1990 RCA Victor.
• Virgil Thomson's Four Saints in Three Acts, 1992 Nonesuch.
• Voice Of Bernstein, 2005 Deutsche Grammophon.