Jessye Norman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jessye Norman
Norman in 2014
Born	Jessye Mae Norman (1945-09-15)September 15, 1945 Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Died	September 30, 2019(2019-09-30) (aged 74) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Howard University Peabody Institute University of Michigan
Occupation	Operatic soprano
Years active	1968–2019
Awards	Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award National Medal of Arts Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art

Jessye Mae Norman (born September 15, 1945 – died September 30, 2019) was a famous American opera singer. She was also known for her solo concerts. Jessye Norman had a very powerful and wide-ranging voice. She could sing many different types of opera roles.

A music critic from The New York Times once said her voice was like a "grand mansion of sound." He meant it was huge and beautiful, with many different parts. Norman sang in many famous operas like Beethoven's Leonore and Wagner's Sieglinde.

She studied music at Howard University, the Peabody Institute, and the University of Michigan. Her career started in Europe. She won a big music competition in Munich in 1968. This led to her first opera contract in Berlin. Her first opera role was Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser. Later, she sang as Aida in Italy.

Jessye Norman first performed opera in the U.S. in 1982. She sang leading roles with many top opera companies. These included the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera, London. She performed at important events, like the inauguration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II's 60th birthday. She also sang the French national anthem for the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.

Norman won five Grammy Awards during her career. She also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She was given many other honors, like the National Medal of Arts and the Legion of Honour from France. In 1990, she was named an Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations.

Life and Career

Early Life and Music Training

Jessye Norman was born in Augusta, Georgia. Her father, Silas Norman, sold insurance, and her mother, Janie King-Norman, was a teacher. She grew up in a family that loved music. Her mother and grandmother played the piano, and her father sang in a choir. All five children in the family learned to play the piano early.

Jessye started singing gospel songs at her church when she was only four years old. She was very talented. At age seven, she entered her first singing contest. She came in third place because she forgot some words. She later joked that "God Will Take Care of You" was the hymn, and "He has taken care of me. That was my last memory slip in public."

When Jessye was nine, she got a radio for her birthday. She soon discovered opera by listening to weekly broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera. She was inspired by famous singers like Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price. Her first formal singing lessons were with Rosa Harris Sanders Creque, her music teacher.

Jessye studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. At 16, she entered the Marian Anderson Vocal Competition. She didn't win, but it led to a full scholarship at Howard University. She earned a music degree in 1967. Then, she continued her studies at the Peabody Institute and the University of Michigan. She earned her master's degree in 1968.

Starting Her Career (1968–1979)

After finishing school, Jessye Norman moved to Europe. Many young American musicians did this to start their careers. In 1968, she won a major music competition in Munich, Germany. The next year, she signed a three-year contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Her first role there was Elisabeth in Wagner's opera Tannhäuser.

Norman performed as a guest singer with many German and Italian opera companies. She was known for playing strong, noble characters. Her voice was very special, both flexible and powerful. It could sing very low notes, like a contralto, and very high, strong notes, like a dramatic soprano.

In 1972, Norman sang at La Scala in Milan, Italy. She performed the main role in Verdi's opera Aida. That same year, she made her first appearance at The Royal Opera in London. She sang in Berlioz's Les Troyens. She also gave her first big public performance in America at the Hollywood Bowl.

In 1973, Norman gave her first solo concert in New York City. From 1975 to 1980, she focused on giving concerts and recitals. She toured Europe, singing works by composers like Franz Schubert, Gustav Mahler, and Johannes Brahms. Critics praised her performances greatly.

Middle Career (1980–1989)

In 1980, Jessye Norman returned to the opera stage. She sang the main role in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos in Germany. Her first opera performance in the United States was in 1982. She sang in Stravinsky's Oedipus rex and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas in Philadelphia.

Her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City was on September 26, 1983. This was the opening night of the company's 100th anniversary season. She sang Cassandre in Berlioz's Les Troyens. She later sang the role of Didon in the same opera. At one performance, the audience gave her a 15-minute standing ovation!

Norman also liked to include new music in her concerts. She asked composer Judith Weir to write a song cycle called woman.life.song. It used words by famous writers like Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. Critics often wrote about her amazing voice and how well she prepared for her performances.

By the mid-1980s, Jessye Norman was one of the most famous opera singers in the world. She said her voice couldn't be put into one category, which she liked. She sang many different kinds of music.

She was invited to sing at President Ronald Reagan's second inauguration in 1985. She performed "Simple Gifts". In 1986, she sang "God Save the Queen" for Queen Elizabeth II's 60th birthday. She also performed in Arnold Schoenberg's Erwartung at the Metropolitan Opera. This was a special performance because it had only one character.

In 1989, Norman sang the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. This was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. She sang it in Paris at the Place de la Concorde.

Later Life (1990–2019)

Norman in 1997

From the early 1990s, Jessye Norman lived in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. She performed at many important events. In 1990, she sang American spirituals with soprano Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall. In 1994, she sang at the funeral of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Norman performed at the 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Atlanta. She sang "Faster, Higher, Stronger." In 1997, she sang "Oh freedom!" at President Bill Clinton's second inauguration. In 1998, she performed sacred music by Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall.

In 2002, Jessye Norman announced she would help fund a school for the arts in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia. This school, the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, offers free after-school programs for children. Norman was very involved in supporting the school.

In 2009, Norman organized a festival called Honor!. It celebrated African-American culture with concerts, lectures, and exhibitions in New York City. She also served on the boards of many organizations, including Carnegie Hall and the New York Public Library.

In 2014, Norman released her memoir, Stand Up Straight and Sing!. In 2018, she received the Glenn Gould Prize for her contributions to opera and the arts.

Jessye Norman passed away on September 30, 2019, at age 74. Her public funeral was held in Augusta, Georgia. Many people spoke and performed to honor her life and music. She was also remembered at a special tribute at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

Honors and Awards

Jessye Norman received many awards and honors throughout her life:

• 1966: Won the National Society of Arts and Letters singing competition.
• 1968: Won first prize at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich.
• 1982: Named Musical America magazine's Musician of the Year.
• 1984: Won her first Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo.
• 1984: Received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Commander) from France.
• 1987: Became a member of the Royal Academy of Music.
• 1988, 1989, 1998: Won Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording.
• 1989: Received the Legion of Honour from France.
• 1990: Named Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations.
• 1991: Her hometown, Augusta, Georgia, named an amphitheater after her.
• 1995: Received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class.
• 1997: Honored with the Kennedy Center Honors.
• 1999: Inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
• 2006: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
• 2009: Received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.
• 2013: Received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP.
• 2015: Won the Wolf Prize in Arts.
• 2018: Received the Glenn Gould Prize and the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal.
• 2019: A street in Augusta, Georgia was renamed Jessye Norman Boulevard.
• 2021: An interchange in Augusta, Georgia was renamed the Jessye Norman Memorial Interchange.

Honorary Doctorates

Jessye Norman received honorary doctorates from more than 30 universities and music schools. Some of these include:

• 1982: Howard University
• 1984: Boston Conservatory at Berklee
• 1988: Harvard University
• 1989: University of Cambridge, UK
• 1990: Juilliard School and Yale University
• 2015: University of Oxford, UK

Repertoire

Opera Roles

Jessye Norman sang many different roles in operas, including:

Oratorios and Concerts

She also performed in many oratorios (large musical works for orchestra and voices) and orchestral concerts:

Recitals

Norman gave many solo recitals, singing works by composers like:

Recordings

See Also

In Spanish: Jessye Norman para niños