Sarah Caldwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Caldwell
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| Born | March 6, 1924 Maryville, Missouri, U.S.
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| Died | March 23, 2006 (aged 82) Portland, Maine, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
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Sarah Caldwell (born March 6, 1924 – died March 23, 2006) was a famous American opera conductor, impresario, and stage director. She was known for leading opera performances, organizing shows, and directing them on stage.
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Early Life and Music
Sarah Caldwell was born in Maryville, Missouri, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was a very talented child, often called a child prodigy. By the time she was ten years old, she was already giving public performances playing the violin. She even finished high school at Fayetteville High School when she was just 14!
After high school, Sarah went to Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas. She also studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1946, she won a special scholarship to play the viola at the Berkshire Music Center. A year later, in 1947, she directed a stage play of Riders to the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams. For 11 years, she worked as the main assistant to a famous conductor named Boris Goldovsky.
Starting Her Opera Career
In 1952, Sarah Caldwell moved to Boston, Massachusetts. There, she became the head of the opera workshop at Boston University. This was a big step for her career.
In 1957, she decided to start her own opera company. She began the Boston Opera Group with just $5,000. This group later became known as the Opera Company of Boston. Sarah became famous for putting on a wide variety of operas, especially difficult ones, even when things were tough. She was also known for making classic operas interesting and new.
Famous Opera Productions
During her time in Boston, Sarah Caldwell led and directed many amazing opera shows. Some of these included:
- Otello
- Manon and Faust (both with famous singer Beverly Sills)
- Lulu (this was its first time on the East Coast of the U.S.)
- I puritani (with the incredible singer Dame Joan Sutherland)
- Moses und Aron (its first time in the U.S.)
- Carmen (with Marilyn Horne)
- Les Troyens
- Don Carlos (the first time the original French version was performed in the U.S.)
- War and Peace (its first stage performance in the U.S.)
- Ruslan and Ludmila (its first time in the U.S.)
- Rigoletto (again with Beverly Sills)
- Tosca (with Magda Olivero)
- Die Soldaten (its first time in the U.S.)
- The Makropoulos Case
In the 1980s, a part of her company called Opera New England traveled around the New England states. They brought opera to many different places. Sarah helped get money from various groups to support these shows, giving young professional singers a chance to perform.
Work in Other Cities
Sarah Caldwell also worked in other major cities.
- In 1973, she directed operas like Der junge Lord and Ariadne auf Naxos at the New York City Opera.
- In 1974, she made history by becoming only the second woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic orchestra. For this concert, she chose music by only female composers.
- On January 13, 1976, Sarah Caldwell became the first female conductor at the famous Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Her first opera there was La traviata.
- Also in 1976, she directed and conducted Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), which was shown on TV. She also directed a special opera for the U.S. Bicentennial called Be Glad Then, America.
- In 1978, she led L'elisir d'amore at the Metropolitan Opera. She also conducted for other major orchestras like the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
- In 1979, she conducted and directed a TV version of the opera Falstaff.
- Sarah Caldwell even directed a non-musical play, Shakespeare's Macbeth, in 1981. It was later shown on cable TV.
Awards and Recognition
Sarah Caldwell received many honors for her amazing work.
- In 1975, she received a special degree called a Doctor of Fine Arts from Bates College.
- In 1997, she was given the National Medal of Arts, which is one of the highest honors for artists in the United States.
- She was also added to the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame.
Later Life and Legacy
Sarah Caldwell lived for some time in a special house called the Lincoln House in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
She retired from her work in 2004. Sarah Caldwell passed away in 2006 from heart failure in Portland, Maine. She is remembered for her groundbreaking work in opera and is honored on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.
Quotes
- Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.
- If you can sell green toothpaste in this country, you can sell opera.
