Mattiwilda Dobbs facts for kids
Mattiwilda Dobbs (July 11, 1925 – December 8, 2015) was a talented American opera singer. She was known as a coloratura soprano, which means she could sing very high notes with great skill. Mattiwilda Dobbs was one of the first black singers to become famous around the world in the world of opera.
She made history by being the first black singer to perform at the famous La Scala opera house in Italy. She was also the first black woman to get a long-term contract and sing a main role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Plus, she was the first black singer to play a main role at the San Francisco Opera.
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Her Life Story
Mattiwilda Dobbs was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 11, 1925. She was one of six daughters. Her parents, John and Irene Dobbs, were important leaders in the African-American community in Georgia. Mattiwilda started playing the piano when she was seven. She also sang in church and community choirs.
Her School Days
Dobbs went to Spelman College. She first studied home economics and thought about becoming a fashion designer. But her teachers saw her musical talent. They encouraged her to study music instead. She graduated in 1946 with degrees in Spanish and music.
After college, she moved to New York City. There, she studied singing with a German soprano named Lotte Leonard. At the same time, she earned a Master's degree in Spanish from Columbia University.
Mattiwilda won several important scholarships. These included the Marian Anderson Award in 1947 and a John Hay Whitney Fellowship. These awards helped her move to Europe in 1950. She continued her music studies there, especially with a teacher named Pierre Bernac.
Singing in Europe
Dobbs first performed in Europe by giving concerts. But after winning the International Music Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1951, her career took off. She began singing at major music festivals and opera houses all over Europe.
Her first professional opera performance was in 1952. She sang the role of the Nightingale in Stravinsky's The Nightingale at the Holland Festival. In 1953, she made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival. Her success there led to a contract at London's Covent Garden from 1953 to 1958.
Her debut at La Scala in Italy happened in 1953. The famous conductor Herbert von Karajan invited her. Dobbs sang the role of Elvira in L'italiana in Algeri. This was a very special moment because it was the first time a black artist sang in that opera house. A British magazine called her "the outstanding coloratura of her generation."
She also performed at the Royal Opera House in London as the Woodbird in Siegfried in 1953. She sang at the Paris Opéra, the Vienna State Opera, and opera houses in Hamburg and Stockholm. In 1954, she even sang for Queen Elizabeth II and the King and Queen of Sweden.
In the 1960s, Dobbs kept performing in Europe, especially in Sweden, where she lived with her husband. Her successful career in Europe was very important. It showed other young black female singers like Leontyne Price and Jessye Norman what was possible.
Singing in the United States
Mattiwilda Dobbs first performed in the United States in 1954. It was a concert with the Little Orchestra Society in New York City. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut on November 9, 1956. She sang the role of Gilda in Rigoletto. A reviewer said her performance was "glorious."
Even though Marian Anderson had sung at the Met the year before, Dobbs was the first African-American singer to be offered a long-term contract there. Over eight seasons, she performed 29 times. Her roles included Zerbinetta, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor. She also sang at the San Francisco Opera in 1955. There, she was the first African-American to sing a main role.
Like other African-American performers, Dobbs refused to sing for audiences that were separated by race. She later said this decision affected her career because she turned down jobs in the southern states. In 1961, the Atlanta Municipal Auditorium was finally desegregated. Dobbs was the first person to sing to an audience that included both black and white people in her hometown.
After Her Singing Career
Dobbs stopped performing in 1974. She then began teaching at the University of Texas. She was the first African-American person on the faculty there. She continued teaching as a voice professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Later, she retired to Arlington County, Virginia.
In 1989, Dobbs was chosen to be on the board of directors for the Metropolitan Opera.
Her Recordings
People praised Dobbs's voice for being fresh and agile. It was also known for its beautiful tone. Her voice was considered perfect for recordings. However, she made relatively few recordings. This is because she spent her early career in Europe. By the time she returned to the United States in 1954, another soprano, Roberta Peters, had become a top recording artist.
Some of Dobbs's important recordings include Die Entführung aus dem Serail (in English) with Nicolai Gedda. She also recorded Les pêcheurs de perles. In 1998, a collection of her opera songs was released by Testament Records. She sang both Olympia and Antonia in a full recording of The Tales of Hoffmann. She also recorded the main role of Zaide and parts of Rigoletto.
Awards and Honors
- In 1954, the King and Queen of Sweden gave Dobbs the Order of the North Star.
- In 1979, Spelman College gave her an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts.
- In 1980, the Library of Congress held an exhibition about her life.
- In 1983, Dobbs received the James Weldon Johnson Award in Fine Arts from the Atlanta National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Her Family Life
Mattiwilda Dobbs was married twice. Her first husband, Luis Rodriguez, passed away in 1954. In 1957, she married Bengt Janzon, a Swedish newspaperman. Janzon passed away in 1997.
Mattiwilda Dobbs was the aunt of Maynard Jackson. He became the first black Mayor of Atlanta. She sang at his inauguration ceremony in January 1978.
Mattiwilda Dobbs passed away from cancer on December 8, 2015. She was 90 years old and died at her home in Atlanta.
See also
In Spanish: Mattiwilda Dobbs para niños
