Latonia Moore facts for kids

Latonia Moore, born in 1979 in Houston, Texas, is a famous American opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she sings with a high voice. Latonia has won three Grammy Awards for her amazing performances. She is especially known for her main roles in operas like Aida and Madama Butterfly. She has also performed in operas by Terence Blanchard.

Latonia Moore's Early Life and Education

Latonia Moore grew up listening to Black music. She started singing in her church choir at the age of 8. Her grandfather, Cranford Moore, was the pastor of the New Sunrise Baptist Church. When she was young, she also sang in the Texas All-State Choir.

How Latonia Moore Started in Music

Latonia first studied gospel and jazz. But one of her teachers at the University of North Texas, Pattye Johnstone, encouraged her to study classical music. Latonia made her first big performance in 1998. This was at the Palm Beach Opera in West Palm Beach. In the same year, she joined the Houston Ebony Opera as a student.

She continued her studies with Bill Schuman at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. She finished her studies there in 2005. In 2000, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. This was a very important competition for young opera singers.

Latonia Moore's Opera Career

In New York City, Latonia Moore received great reviews for her performance in 2008. She sang with the Opera Orchestra of New York in Puccini's opera Edgar. In March 2012, she made her first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera. She stepped in at the last minute to sing the main role of Aida. This performance was even broadcast live. She has now performed the role of Aida more than one hundred times!

Famous Opera Roles and Performances

Latonia Moore has also appeared on recordings. She is featured on a recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 2. She also sang in a recording of Verdi's Macbeth, which was sung in English.

In January 2016, Latonia performed for the New York City Opera. She sang in Puccini's Tosca at the Rose Theater in Lincoln Center. In April 2016, she sang the main role of Cio-Cio San. This was in the San Diego Opera's performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Critics praised her acting and her "rich, beautiful" voice. During that show, she became friends with mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges. They performed together again at San Diego Opera in 2023.

In 2018, Moore performed with Opera Australia. She sang the main role in Puccini's Tosca again. Her performance was highly praised for being complex and having a voice with "luxurious colour and brilliance."

Grammy-Winning Performances

In 2019, Latonia Moore played the role of Serena in the Metropolitan Opera's Porgy and Bess. This production won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. She also starred in two other Grammy-winning productions by the Met. These were Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion.

Awards and Recognitions

Latonia Moore has received several important awards for her talent.

Latonia Moore's Recordings

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