Latonia Moore facts for kids

Latonia Moore (born in 1979 in Houston, Texas) is an American opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she has a high singing voice. Latonia Moore has won three Grammy Awards. She is famous for her amazing performances in operas like Aida and Madama Butterfly. She has also starred in operas by Terence Blanchard.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Latonia Moore grew up in Houston, Texas. She started singing at a young age in her church choir. Her grandfather, Cranford Moore, was the pastor of the New Sunrise Baptist Church. When she was 8 years old, she began singing there. As a teenager, she also sang in the Texas All-State Choir.

When she first started, Latonia studied gospel and jazz. But one of her teachers at the University of North Texas, Pattye Johnstone, encouraged her to try classical music. This led Latonia to discover opera.

She made her first big performance in 1998 at the Palm Beach Opera. That same year, she also joined the Houston Ebony Opera as a student. Later, she studied at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in 2005. In 2000, she won the important Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This was a big step in her career.

Opera Career Highlights

Latonia Moore has performed in many famous opera houses around the world. In 2008, she sang in Puccini's opera Edgar in New York City. People really loved her performance.

Her big moment at the Metropolitan Opera came in March 2012. She stepped in at the last minute to sing the main role in Aida. This performance was even broadcast live! Since then, she has sung Aida more than one hundred times.

In 2016, Latonia Moore performed in Puccini's Tosca for the New York City Opera. She also sang the main role of Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly for the San Diego Opera. Critics praised her acting and her "rich, supple and multi-octave soprano voice." She became good friends with another singer, J'Nai Bridges, during this production.

Latonia Moore also performed Tosca in Australia in 2018. Her performance was highly praised for its "luxurious colour and brilliance."

She has also been part of several Grammy-winning opera productions. In 2019, she played Serena in the Metropolitan Opera's Porgy and Bess. This production won a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She also starred in the Met's Grammy-winning productions of Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion.

Awards and Recognitions

Latonia Moore has received several awards for her incredible talent.

Recordings

Latonia Moore's voice can be heard on several recordings:

• Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, conducted by Gilbert Kaplan (2003, Deutsche Grammophon)
• Macbeth (singing the role of Lady Macbeth) by Giuseppe Verdi, sung in English (2014, Chandos)