Marquita Lister facts for kids

Marquita Lister, born on April 24, 1961, is an American opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she sings the highest female vocal parts. Marquita has performed with big opera companies in the U.S. and other countries. She is famous for singing the role of Bess in the opera Porgy and Bess many, many times around the world. She is also well-known for her performances as Aida and Salome.

Growing Up and Learning Music

Marquita Lister was born in Washington, D.C.. She went to high school there and even won several singing contests as a teenager.

She continued her music education at the New England Conservatory of Music. Later, she earned a master's degree from Oklahoma City University. There, she learned from a famous singing teacher named Inez Silberg. In 1983, she won a regional competition for the Metropolitan Opera, a very important opera company.

Her Amazing Opera Career

Marquita Lister started her professional journey at the Houston Grand Opera from 1987 to 1989. She made her big debut there in 1992. She starred as the main character in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida.

After that, she sang leading soprano roles at many other opera companies. These included the San Francisco Opera and the Vancouver Opera.

Singing Bess Around the World

Marquita Lister is especially famous for playing Bess in Porgy and Bess. She performed this role on a world tour. This tour took her to famous places like the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the La Scala opera house in Milan.

She also sang Bess at the Bregenzer Festspiele and the New York City Opera. In 2002, she won the Diva Award for her performance there. You might have even seen her as Bess on TV. She appeared in a "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcast of Porgy and Bess on PBS.

Other Important Roles and Performances

In recent years, Marquita has taken on other challenging roles. She sang Lady Macbeth and Aida at the Semperoper in Dresden, Germany. She also performed as Rusalka at the Boston Lyric Opera.

She has performed with many world-famous artists. These include Plácido Domingo and Frederica Von Stade.

Recordings and Recent Shows

Marquita Lister has also recorded music. She recorded parts of Porgy and Bess with the Cincinnati Pops orchestra. Her recording of Porgy and Bess for Decca was highly praised in 2006.

In 2011, she sang Bess again in a concert with the Akron Symphony. She also performed as Serena in Porgy and Bess at Tanglewood. That same year, she sang Gershwin songs in Vancouver, Canada.

In 2012, she performed at the University of California, Irvine. She sang songs by H. Leslie Adams and an aria from the opera "Amistad." She also gave a master class at the University of North Carolina.

Marquita Lister continues to appear on television. She also started a radio talk show series.

Helping Others

For many years, Marquita Lister has been a spokesperson for the Negro "Spiritual" Scholarship Foundation. This group helps young singers get money for their music education. You can learn more about them at Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation.

In 2011, Marquita received the Victory Award. This award came from the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C. She had received treatment there for an illness. Thanks to her hard work and the care she received, Marquita got her strength back. She returned to the stage with lots of energy.