Kathleen Battle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathleen Battle
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Battle in 1999
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| Born | August 13, 1948 Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
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| Education | University of Cincinnati (BM, MM) |
| Occupation | Operatic soprano |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Awards | |
Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American opera singer, known as a soprano. This means she sings the highest parts in opera. She is famous for her special voice and how she uses it. Kathleen was born in Portsmouth, Ohio.
She first became known for singing with big orchestras in the 1970s. She performed in her first opera in 1975. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Kathleen sang many different types of soprano roles. After some disagreements, she stopped performing at the Metropolitan Opera in 1994. Later, she focused on making recordings and giving concerts. After not performing at the Met for 22 years, Kathleen Battle returned for a concert of spiritual songs in November 2016. She performed there again in May 2024.
Contents
Kathleen Battle's Musical Journey
Her Early Life and Music Training
Kathleen Battle was the youngest of seven children. She grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio. Her father worked in a steel factory. Her mother was very involved in the gospel music at their church.
Kathleen went to Portsmouth High School. Her music teacher, Charles P. Varney, was a big help to her. In an interview, Mr. Varney remembered hearing eight-year-old Kathleen sing for the first time. He said she was "this tiny little thing singing so beautifully." He told her that God had blessed her voice and that she must always sing.
Kathleen earned a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music. There, she studied singing and music education. She even earned a master's degree in Music Education. In 1971, she started teaching music to 5th and 6th graders in Cincinnati. She kept taking private singing lessons while she taught. Later, she continued her singing studies in New York.
Starting Her Professional Career in the 1970s
In 1972, a friend told Kathleen about auditions with a conductor named Thomas Schippers. Kathleen auditioned and was chosen to sing in a big concert in Italy. This performance on July 9, 1972, was the start of her professional singing career.
Over the next few years, Kathleen sang in many orchestral concerts. She performed in New York, Los Angeles, and Cleveland. In 1973, she received a special grant to help her career. One of the judges, William Mullen, remembered her audition. He said, "The other judges thought her voice was too small, but I thought she had an incredible ability to communicate through music." He convinced the other judges to give her the grant.
Thomas Schippers introduced Kathleen Battle to another conductor, James Levine. Levine chose Kathleen to sing in a large symphony in 1974. This began a long friendship and working relationship between Battle and Levine. They performed and recorded together for 20 years.
Kathleen made her first opera performance in 1975. She sang the role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville in Detroit. The next year, she sang in her first New York City Opera show. In 1977, she performed at the San Francisco Opera and made her Metropolitan Opera debut. Her performance at the Met was conducted by James Levine. In 1979, she also performed in the UK for the first time.
Success and Awards in the 1980s
Throughout the 1980s, Kathleen Battle performed in many concerts, choral works, and operas. She traveled all over the world. In 1980, she sang in her first opera in Zürich, Switzerland. In 1982, she performed at the famous Salzburg Festival in Austria.
In 1985, she sang for Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. That same year, she performed at the Royal Opera House in London. In 1987, she was invited to sing at the famous Vienna New Year's Concert. She sang many different opera roles during this time. Kathleen became a well-known artist at the Metropolitan Opera. She performed there over 150 times in 13 different operas.
During the 1980s, Kathleen won three Grammy Awards for her recordings. She also received the Laurence Olivier Award in 1985 for her stage performance in London. Critics often praised her performances. In 1985, Time Magazine called her "the best lyric coloratura soprano in the world."
Projects and Challenges in the 1990s
The 1990s brought many different projects for Kathleen. She worked on a concert program and a CD of spirituals. She also recorded baroque music and performed full operas. She even sang with jazz musicians.
In 1990, Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman performed spirituals at Carnegie Hall. Kathleen also gave solo concerts in California. Her first solo concert at Carnegie Hall was in April 1991. She sang songs by famous composers and traditional spirituals. The legendary singer Marian Anderson was in the audience that night. Kathleen dedicated a song to her. This concert recording earned Kathleen her fourth Grammy award. In 1992, she performed a new song cycle written just for her.
In December 1993, she performed at Carnegie Hall with jazz musicians. She sang music by Handel, Haydn, and Duke Ellington, plus Christmas spirituals. She also worked with other musicians like trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and violinist Itzhak Perlman. In May 1993, Kathleen even added pop music to her work. She sang on Janet Jackson's album Janet for the song "This Time."
On the opera stage, she performed in many Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti operas. Between 1990 and 1993, she sang in several productions at the Metropolitan Opera. She won her fifth Grammy Award in 1993 for singing in the opera Semele.
During the early 1990s, Kathleen Battle gave many praised performances at the Metropolitan Opera. However, her relationship with the opera company became difficult. In February 1994, during rehearsals for an opera, there were disagreements about how things were being run. The General Manager, Joseph Volpe, decided to remove Kathleen from the production. He said her actions during rehearsals were "profoundly detrimental to the artistic collaboration." He also said that all future offers for her to perform at the Met were canceled. Kathleen was replaced by another singer.
In a statement, Kathleen Battle said she was not told about any unprofessional actions. She believed they were working through artistic problems in rehearsals. She said she was saddened by the decision. After this, Kathleen did not perform in opera for many years.
For the rest of the 1990s, she focused on recording and concert performances. She sang a duet with jazz singer Al Jarreau in 1994. In 1995, she performed at Lincoln Center and released two albums. One album, So Many Stars, included folk songs, lullabies, and spirituals. The other was a Christmas album. In 1997, she released more albums. In 1998, she joined jazz pianist Herbie Hancock on his album Gershwin's World. In 1999, she was featured in the movie Fantasia 2000, singing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also gave solo concerts in many cities, singing different types of songs.
Her Career from 2000 to Today
Kathleen Battle has continued to work on many different projects. She has performed music by composers not usually linked to classical music, like Vangelis, Stevie Wonder, and George Gershwin.
In 2001, she and Jessye Norman performed a work by Vangelis in Athens, Greece. In 2006, she sang a song by Stevie Wonder in a tribute to him. She then started including his music in her concerts. In 2007, she performed an all-Gershwin program. In October 2007, Kathleen Battle and Alicia Keys performed a song together at a charity event.
On April 16, 2008, she sang a special version of the Lord's Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI at the White House. This was the second time she sang for a pope. Later that year, she performed with Alicia Keys and Queen Latifah at the American Music Awards. Since then, she has given occasional piano-voice concerts.
After 22 years, Kathleen Battle returned to the Metropolitan Opera House. She performed a concert of spirituals in November 2016. Kathleen Battle performed at the Metropolitan Opera again on May 12, 2024. She received a standing ovation when she walked onto the stage at the beginning of the concert.
Important First Performances
Here are some of Kathleen Battle's first major performances:
- Her first professional performance was as a soprano soloist in a concert in Spoleto, Italy, on July 9, 1972.
- She made her first opera performance as Rosina in The Barber of Seville in 1975.
- Her first performance with the New York City Opera was in 1976.
- She made her debut with the San Francisco Opera on November 12, 1977.
- Her first performance at the Metropolitan Opera was on December 22, 1977.
- She performed in the UK for the first time on July 15, 1979.
- Her first performance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago was on November 26, 1980.
- She made her debut at the Salzburg Festival on July 28, 1982.
- Her first solo concert at the Salzburg Festival was on August 25, 1984.
- She performed at the Royal Opera, London for the first time on June 17, 1985.
- Her first solo concert at Carnegie Hall was on April 27, 1991.
What Kathleen Battle Sings
Choral and Symphonic Works
Kathleen Battle has sung as a soloist in many large musical pieces for choirs and orchestras. These include works by famous composers like Bach, Brahms, Haydn, Handel, Mahler, and Mozart. She has also performed in modern works like Honey and Rue and Mythodea.
Opera Roles
Kathleen Battle has played many different characters in operas on stage. She has sung roles in operas by Mozart, Donizetti, Richard Strauss, Rossini, Handel, Verdi, Massenet, Haydn, Messiaen, Joplin, and Wagner. Some of her famous roles include Pamina in The Magic Flute, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, and Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare.
Concerts and Recitals
Kathleen Battle's concert performances include a wide range of music. She sings classical pieces, jazz, and other styles. Her jazz and crossover music includes songs by Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, André Previn, and Stevie Wonder. She is especially known for singing African-American spirituals.
Working with Other Artists
Kathleen Battle has worked with many famous conductors. These include Herbert von Karajan, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, and Georg Solti. She has performed with major orchestras around the world. Some of these are the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. She has also appeared at many music festivals.
In her solo concerts, she has been joined by many talented pianists. She has also worked with other classical musicians. These include flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, soprano Jessye Norman, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and tenors Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo. She has also collaborated with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and guitarist Christopher Parkening.
Outside of classical music, she has worked with singers like Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Alicia Keys, and James Ingram. She has also performed with jazz musicians like Grover Washington Jr. and Herbie Hancock. Kathleen Battle also sang on Janet Jackson's album Janet. She sang the title song for the 2004 Chinese movie, House of Flying Daggers. She also performs the music of Stevie Wonder.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Kathleen Battle has received many awards and honors for her amazing talent:
- She won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance in 1986 for her Mozart album.
- She won another Grammy in 1987 for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for her Salzburg Recital.
- She received a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in 1987 for Ariadne Auf Naxos.
- She won a Laurence Olivier Award in 1985 for her performance in Ariadne auf Naxos in London.
- She earned another Grammy in 1992 for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance for her Carnegie Hall concert.
- She won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her performance at the Metropolitan Opera Silver Anniversary Gala.
- She received a Candace Award in 1992.
- She won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording in 1993 for Semele.
- She received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1993.
- Kathleen Battle has received six honorary doctorates from American universities.
- She was given the NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award in 1999.
See also
In Spanish: Kathleen Battle para niños
