Cynthia Clarey facts for kids

Cynthia Clarey, born on April 25, 1949, is an American opera singer and teacher. She is known for singing different types of opera roles, including both soprano (a high female voice) and mezzo-soprano (a medium female voice). Many people know her best for playing the character of Carmen in the famous opera.

Cynthia Clarey's Early Life

Cynthia Clarey was born in Smithfield, Virginia. When she was ten, her family moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina. As a child, she loved to sing. She sang in choirs at her school and her family's church.

Her Education Journey

After finishing high school in 1966, Clarey went to Howard University in Washington, D.C.. She studied music there and earned her bachelor's degree in 1970.

Next, Clarey went to the Juilliard School in New York City. At first, she wanted to work in musical theater, not opera. She even walked out of a class with famous opera singer Maria Callas because of this. But Clarey stayed at Juilliard and earned her postgraduate diploma in 1972.

Cynthia Clarey's Career in Music

Singing in Operas

Clarey started her opera career with the American Opera Center. Her first role was Pamina in Mozart's Magic Flute. She also worked as a chorister (a singer in a choir) in New York City. She sang for shows like Carmina Burana.

Early in her career, Clarey faced some challenges because she was an African-American performer. She remembers a time when a director wanted to remove a Black singer from a scene. He said the singer "did not look authentic to Mozart."

Later, Clarey moved to Binghamton, New York. She joined the Tri-Cities Opera Company. This is where she first sang the role of Carmen in Georges Bizet's opera Carmen. Carmen became a very special role for Clarey. She performed it all over the United States and around the world.

In 1984, Clarey made her first European opera performance. She sang in L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Glyndebourne Festival in England. Two years later, she returned to Glyndebourne. She played the role of Serena in Porgy and Bess. Clarey said this role was very difficult. She admired Ruby Elzy, an early African-American opera singer. Elzy first played Serena in 1935. Clarey said, "Serena's music is so difficult to sing, and when you have to act the role too it's overwhelming."

Clarey is featured on a recording of Porgy and Bess from Glyndebourne. Simon Rattle conducted the London Philharmonic for this recording. It was released in 1989 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. Many consider it one of the best classical recordings of the opera.

Clarey also performed with many other famous opera houses. These include the Royal Opera House in London and the Opéra-Comique in Paris. She also sang at festivals like the Wexford Festival Opera.

Concert Performances

Besides opera, Clarey is also a talented concert performer. She has sung with major orchestras. These include the Chicago Symphony, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic.

As she got older, Clarey found her voice changed. Her vocal range became lower. After taking a break from singing, she moved to Chicago. There, she discovered cabaret music. She started performing in this style. She said, "Opera is more technically difficult for a singer, but cabaret is up close and personal. There’s nowhere to hide! ... It really feels like home."

Teaching Music

In 2008, Clarey joined the faculty at Roosevelt University. She teaches voice and performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts there. She has also been a guest professor at Indiana University Bloomington.