Harolyn Blackwell facts for kids
Harolyn Blackwell (born November 23, 1955) is an American singer. She is a lyric coloratura soprano, which means she has a high, light, and flexible voice. She has sung in many famous opera houses, concert halls, and theaters around the world. Harolyn Blackwell performs in operas, special musical pieces called oratorios, solo concerts, and Broadway musicals.
In the early 1980s, she was known for her work in musical theater. By 1987, she became famous in the world of opera. She often sang "soubrette" roles, which are usually for playful, charming young female characters. Later, she wanted to sing different kinds of roles. She worked hard to become known for "lyric coloratura" roles, which are more dramatic and require a very high, agile voice.
With help from places like Seattle Opera, she successfully changed her singing style. Now, she performs famous roles like Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor and Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffman. She also still performs in musical theater sometimes. Harolyn Blackwell is especially known for singing and recording the music of Leonard Bernstein.
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Early Life and Education
Harolyn Blackwell was born in Washington, D.C. on November 23, 1955. She was the oldest of five children. Her parents were both teachers. They were also active in the Civil Rights Movement, working for equal rights for all people. Her father, Harold Blackwell, worked for the government in housing. Her mother taught physical education.
Harolyn first became interested in music because of her fourth-grade teacher, Nancy Notargiacomo. Nancy later became her voice and piano teacher when Harolyn was 10 years old. Harolyn also says her high school choir director encouraged her to become a musician. She remembered thinking about studying history or fashion design. But her director told her, "no, your calling is music."
Blackwell went to The Catholic University of America. She studied vocal music education there. She also took classes and joined activities in the university's drama and musical theater programs. She wanted to have strong classical training, no matter if she chose opera or musical theater. She felt Catholic University was perfect because it had great drama and music departments.
After graduating in 1977, Harolyn taught music at two schools. She also continued her vocal studies at Catholic University. She performed in two opera roles during this time. She earned her master's degree in Vocal Performance in 1980.
Starting Her Career
Harolyn Blackwell's first professional performances were with a group called the Young Columbians in 1976-1977. She sang popular songs like "Summertime."
Broadway Beginnings
In 1979, Harolyn auditioned for a new version of West Side Story on Broadway. The famous composer Leonard Bernstein himself chose her for the role of Francisca. She was also the understudy for the main character, Maria. As Francisca, Harolyn sang the song Somewhere from the orchestra pit.
For two and a half years, she toured with the show. This experience taught her a lot about acting and performing. She learned how to become a character and how to perform many shows each week. Critics said she sounded a lot like opera singer Reri Grist, who had played a similar role before. Harolyn later met and became friends with Grist. Grist even helped Harolyn prepare for her first European opera performance in 1985.
Moving to Opera
In 1981, Harolyn was accepted into young artist programs at two major opera companies. She chose the Lyric Opera of Chicago. After singing small parts for a year, she left to study singing more deeply. In 1983, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This big win helped her decide to focus on opera. She said it felt "natural" and like putting on "a pair of old shoes."
After her win, she continued her training at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 1987, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Poussette in Manon. Since then, Harolyn Blackwell's opera career has grown. She has performed many times with the Metropolitan Opera.
Famous Performances
In 1989, Harolyn Blackwell performed and recorded the role of Clara in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. This recording was very popular and won a Grammy Award. Harolyn sang the famous song "Summertime" at the 1990 Grammy Awards. This performance made her even more well-known as an opera singer.
In 1991, she performed as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the San Francisco Opera. That same year, she gave a highly praised performance as Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera with the Metropolitan Opera. She sang alongside the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti. This performance was filmed and shown on PBS' Great Performances.
Harolyn also appeared on Great Performances again in 1993. She sang music from Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd at a concert called Sondheim — A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. This concert is available on DVD and CD.
Throughout the early 1990s, Harolyn performed with opera companies in the United States and Europe. In 1994, she stepped in to play Marie in La fille du régiment at the Metropolitan Opera. This happened when another singer, Kathleen Battle, was unable to perform. Critics often compared the two singers because they had similar voices and sang many of the same roles.
In the mid-1990s, Harolyn Blackwell started singing more "lyric coloratura" roles. Seattle Opera helped her a lot with this change. She sang new roles like the main characters in Lucia di Lammermoor and Lakmé. She also performed as Norina in Don Pasquale, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffman. These successful performances led to her singing similar roles with many other companies around the world.
In 1997, Harolyn returned to Broadway to star as Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide. She received great reviews for her singing. She also recorded several other works by Bernstein on her solo album Blackwell Sings Bernstein in 1996.
Harolyn Blackwell has also performed in many acclaimed concerts and given solo recitals. She has sung at famous venues like London's Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. In 1999, she was invited to sing at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II's 80th birthday. In 2006, she performed at the White House for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.
She has performed with many major opera companies and festivals. She has also sung with famous orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. She has performed many classical works, including Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Requiem. Harolyn Blackwell has had the chance to sing under the direction of many of the world's best conductors.
Harolyn as a Teacher
Harolyn Blackwell has always seen herself as a teacher, partly because she started as a music teacher. She remembers fighting for her students to visit the Kennedy Center to see an opera. She worked with other teachers to connect music, art, history, and literature for her students.
This interest in education continued throughout her opera career. For many years, she participated in a program where she talked to people in communities. She taught them about opera and helped them become interested in it. She believes that when people understand more about opera, they can enjoy it more.
In 2002, Harolyn began teaching at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She taught master classes there for four years. She has also been a guest instructor at many universities. Currently, she teaches voice at the Manhattan School of Music, Barnard College, and New York University.
Personal Life and Awards
Harolyn Blackwell married businessman Peter Greer in 1991. She is a Catholic and believes her voice is a gift from God that she wants to use well.
Harolyn Blackwell has received many awards and honors. One award allowed her to study in Italy with famous singers Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi. She also won the Puccini Foundation Award and two Career Grants from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. Her former university, The Catholic University of America, named her Alumna of the Year. More recently, she has received honorary doctorates from Siena College and George Washington University.
Watch and Listen
- To hear Harolyn Blackwell sing the role of Norina from Donizetti's Don Pasquale click here:
- To hear Harolyn Blackwell sing the roles of Clara from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Oscar from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, and Johanna from Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd click here:
- To see Harolyn Blackwell in an interview with Charlie Rose click here:
Music She Recorded
Solo Recordings
- "Strange Hurt" — 1994
- Blackwell Sings Bernstein, a Simple Song — 1996
- All Through The Night — 2006
Classical Recordings
- Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem — 2000
- Gershwin: Porgy and Bess — 1998
- Canadian Brass: Noël — 1994
- Gershwin: Porgy and Bess — 1989
Musical Recordings
- Candide — 1997
- Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall — 1993
DVD Appearances
- Sondheim — A Celebration at Carnegie Hall — 1993
- Un ballo in maschera — 1991 (Metropolitan Opera)
TV Appearances
- A Capitol Fourth — 2008 (PBS)
- Pops Goes The Fourth — 1994 (A&E)
- Porgy and Bess — 1993 (BBC, as Clara)
- Sondheim — A Celebration at Carnegie Hall — 1993 (PBS' Great Performances)
- Un ballo in maschera — 1991 (Oscar in the Metropolitan Opera production, PBS's Great Performances)
- 1990 Grammy Awards
See also
In Spanish: Harolyn Blackwell para niños
