Florence Quivar facts for kids

Florence Quivar (born March 3, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American opera singer known for her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. She is considered one of the most important singers of her time. People have described her voice as "rich and earthy" and her performances as "distinguished" and "reliable." From 1977 to 1997, she performed over 100 times at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Early Life and Musical Journey

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

As a teenager, she became very interested in opera after seeing the Metropolitan Opera perform Madama Butterfly in Philadelphia. Even though she dreamed of performing, Florence first thought about becoming an elementary school teacher. She even enrolled in a teaching college! But after only one day, she realized her true passion was music. She quickly switched to the Philadelphia Academy of Music.

In 1975, she went on to the Juilliard School, a very famous music school. While there, she performed in an opera called Rusalka. Later, she continued her studies with a private teacher in New York City.

Florence then returned to Philadelphia to take special classes with the famous singer Maureen Forrester. Here, she focused on two types of classical music: lieder (German songs) and oratorio (large musical works, often religious). In 1976, she gave her first professional concert in Philadelphia. That same year, she won two important competitions: the Baltimore Lyric Opera Competition and the Marian Anderson Award in New York. These wins caught the attention of a major music manager, which quickly led to her performing at the Metropolitan Opera and with orchestras across the United States.

A Star on Stage and Beyond

In 1976, Florence Quivar played 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, she made her debut at the Tanglewood Festival, singing in a brand new piece called When Lilacs Last In The Dooryard Bloom'd. On October 10, 1977, she performed for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera as Marina in Boris Godunov. She became a regular star at the Met throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She played many different roles, including Jocasta in Oedipus rex, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera. Her 101st and final performance at the Met was in 1997, singing in Verdi's Requiem.

Florence also performed in many other famous opera houses around the world, such as La Scala in Italy, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin in Germany. Some of her other well-known roles included Carmen in Carmen, Erda in Wagner's operas, and Orpheus in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, a role she became especially famous for.

She also sang with many of the world's best orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Florence Quivar has also worked to bring attention to the music of forgotten composers, especially African-American composers from the 1800s and 1900s. She wants to create programs and recordings of their neglected works. She also performed in a 1981 revival of Virgil Thomson's Four Saints.

She has also supported new music. In 1999, she sang in the world premiere of Anthony Davis' opera Amistad. In 2001, she premiered a new song cycle called From the Diary of Sally Hemings at the Library of Congress. She later toured with this piece across the United States.

Florence Quivar 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 Florence Quivar sing Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera

Recordings

Florence Quivar has made many recordings throughout her career.

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