Florence Quivar facts for kids

Florence Quivar (born March 3, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a famous American opera singer. She is a mezzo-soprano, which means she has a beautiful, rich voice that is lower than a soprano but higher than a contralto. Many people say she is one of the best singers of her time. They describe her voice as "warm" and "rich," and say she has a strong stage presence. From 1977 to 1997, she performed over 100 times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Florence Quivar loved music from a very young age. Her mother was a piano and voice teacher. She even had her own gospel music group called the "Harmonic Choraliers." Florence learned piano and singing from her mother. She started singing solos in church when she was just six years old.

As a teenager, Florence discovered opera. She saw the Metropolitan Opera perform Madama Butterfly in Philadelphia. This show made her want to become an opera singer.

At first, Florence thought about becoming an elementary school teacher. She even enrolled in a college for teachers. But after only one day, she realized music was her true passion! She quickly switched to the Philadelphia Academy of Music. After graduating, she went to the Juilliard School in 1975. While there, she performed in an opera called Rusalka. Later, she continued her singing lessons with Marinka Gurewich in New York City.

Florence then returned to Philadelphia to learn from the famous singer Maureen Forrester. Here, she focused on two types of classical music: lieder (German songs) and oratorio (large musical works, often based on religious stories). She gave her first professional concert in Philadelphia in 1976. That same year, she won two important singing contests: the Baltimore Lyric Opera Competition and the Marian Anderson Award. These wins caught the eye of Harold Shaw, a well-known music manager. Soon, Florence was performing at the Metropolitan Opera and with major orchestras across the United States.

A Star on the Opera Stage

In 1976, Florence Quivar sang the role of Serena in Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess with the Cleveland Orchestra. This performance was recorded and later won a Grammy Award for best opera recording!

The next year, Florence made her debut at the Tanglewood Festival. She sang in the very first performance of Roger Sessions' When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloom'd. She also made her first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera on October 10, 1977. She played Marina in Boris Godunov.

Florence became a regular star at the Met throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She performed many different roles, including Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera. Her 101st and final performance at the Met was in 1997. She sang in a concert version of Verdi's Requiem.

Florence also performed at many other famous opera houses around the world. These included the La Scala in Italy, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, and the Teatro Colón in Argentina. Some of her other important roles were Carmen in Carmen and Orpheus in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. She became especially known for her role as Orpheus.

Besides opera, Florence sang with many of the world's best orchestras. These included the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Florence Quivar has also worked to bring attention to music by forgotten composers. She especially focuses on African-American composers from the 1800s and 1900s. Her goal is to perform and record their music so more people can hear it. She has also supported new music by performing in the first shows of new operas and song cycles. For example, in 1999, she sang in the world premiere of Anthony Davis' opera Amistad. In 2001, she premiered William Bolcom's song cycle From the Diary of Sally Hemings.

Florence continued to perform in operas until the mid-2000s, when she retired from the opera stage. However, she still performs in concerts and recitals today.

Watch and Listen

• To hear Quivar sing Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera

Discography

Florence Quivar has recorded many albums. Here are some of her most well-known recordings.

Choral and Symphonic Recordings

Opera Recordings

Solo Recordings

See also

In Spanish: Florence Quivar para niños

• CAMI page
• Interview with Florence Quivar, August 24, 1992