Simon Estes facts for kids
Simon Estes (born March 2, 1938) is a famous African-American opera singer. He sings with a deep voice, known as a bass-baritone. His amazing career started in the 1960s and took him all over the world. He has performed in front of many important people. These include presidents like Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela.
Simon Estes was one of the first black opera singers to become widely successful. He helped break down barriers of racial prejudice in the world of opera.
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Early Life and Education
Estes was born in Centerville, Iowa. His father was a coal miner. His grandfather had been a slave, sold for $500. Simon was called 'Billy' by his family. This was to avoid confusion with his father, who was also named Simon.
He was one of five children. Simon had three sisters and a younger brother. His family was very active in their local Baptist church. His first musical experiences were there. He continued to be involved in church music. He also joined school music programs as he grew up.
In 1957, Estes started at the University of Iowa. He first planned to study medicine. He later changed his major to psychology, then religion. Finally, he decided to study vocal music. This change happened because of a teacher named Charles Kellis.
Estes was singing in the university's "Old Gold Singers." He was the first black singer in the group. His voice caught Mr. Kellis's attention. Mr. Kellis became Simon's first voice teacher. He also introduced Simon to opera. After college, Estes went to the Juilliard School in 1964. People in Iowa helped raise money for him to go.
Opera Career Highlights
Like many black artists then, Estes went to Europe. There, racial prejudice was less of a problem than in the United States. In 1965, he made his first professional opera performance. He sang as Ramfis in Aida in Berlin, Germany. People loved his performance.
The next year, he won a bronze medal. This was at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Winning this led to an invitation from President Lyndon Johnson. Estes performed at the White House in 1966. Many major opera houses in Europe then offered him roles.
Success in Europe
Estes had a very busy schedule in Europe. He performed in many opera houses in the late 1960s and 1970s. He was especially praised for his roles in operas by Richard Wagner. He sang at famous places like La Scala in Italy. He also performed at Covent Garden in London.
He was also part of important music festivals. These included the Salzburg Festival. In 1978, he made history. He became the first black man to sing a main role at the famous Bayreuth Festival. He sang the lead role in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer. This performance was a huge success for him. He sang there for six years in a row. He returned in 1985 to sing the same role. That performance was recorded and is still considered one of the best.
Breaking Barriers in America
While Estes was doing well in Europe, many big American opera houses did not hire him. His first show with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1971 was a small role. The Metropolitan Opera in New York did not even try to hire him in the 1960s. In 1976, he sang only one show with the Met on tour.
The San Francisco Opera (SFO) was more welcoming. He sang several good roles there in 1967. These included four villains in The Tales of Hoffmann. He also sang in the first U.S. performance of The Visitation. He returned to the SFO many times. He sang roles like Ramfis in Aida and the Dutchman in The Flying Dutchman.
In 1981, Estes finally got an offer to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He accepted the offer. But Leontyne Price warned him. She was the first African-American leading female singer at the Met. She told him it would be hard. She said, "Simon, it's going to be even more difficult for you. Because you are a black male, the discrimination will be greater."
However, the audience and critics loved Simon's first performance at the Met. This was on January 4, 1982. He sang as Hermann in Wagner's Tannhäuser.
Estes then sang at the Met for six years in a row. He played roles like Amfortas in Wagner's Parsifal. In 1985, he sang Porgy in the Met's first show of Porgy and Bess. In 1986, he sang Wotan in a new production of Wagner's Ring Cycle. He returned to the Met in 1990 and 1999. Perhaps his greatest Met moment was singing with Leontyne Price. This was for her last opera performance in 1985. It was shown live on TV.
Humanitarian Work
More recently, Estes has focused on fighting HIV/AIDS. He leads a group called Artists for HIV/AIDS prevention and education. These artists use music and art to help break down barriers. They also work to reduce the shame linked to the disease.
On July 9, 2010, he performed at the FIFA Gala Concert in South Africa. There, he learned about the growing problem of malaria. He decided to help fight this illness too.
In 2013, the Simon Estes Foundation started a program. It is called "Iowa Students Care." It encourages students in Iowa to help stop malaria in Africa. They raise money to buy special bed nets for African children. This campaign works with the United Nations Foundation. It is supported by Iowa's governor. Activities include selling a CD called "Save the Children, Save their Lives." They also hold a Christmas Concert to raise money.
In 2017, Estes performed for a non-profit group. This was at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He played King Philip in scenes from the opera Don Carlos.
Educator
Estes is currently a visiting Professor of Music. He teaches at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Before that, he was a professor at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He gives voice lessons there when he is present. He has also performed in Wartburg's Christmas concert. He sometimes tours with their concert choir.
He is also a faculty artist at Boston University. He is the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist in Residence at Iowa State University. He has many honorary degrees. He was also named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Iowa.
Personal Life
In 1980, Estes married Yvonne Baer. They had three daughters: Jennifer, Lynne, and Tiffany. They divorced after 21 years. In 2001, Estes married Ovida Stong. She was a nurse who had cared for his mother.
Selected Awards and Honors
- 1965 — Third Prize, ARD International Music Competition, Munich
- 1966 — Bronze Medal, International Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow
- 1988 — United States Constitution Bicentennial Medal
- 1996 — Iowa Award (Iowa's highest citizen honor)
- 2004 — Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Award, New York
- 2012 — Gold Medal of Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain
- 2021 — Robert D. Ray Iowa Character Counts Award.
Images for kids
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Estes performing in August 2019.
See also
In Spanish: Simon Estes para niños
