Tichina Vaughn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tichina Vaughn
Tichina Vaughn American Mezzosoprano
Born	Tichina Vaughn (1965-09-19) 19 September 1965 (age 59) Baltimore, United States
Education	North Carolina School of arts Georgia State University Metropolitan Opera young artists program
Occupation	Operatic mezzo-soprano
Awards	Kammersängerin, Staatstheater Stuttgart

Tichina Vaughn (born September 19, 1965) is a famous American opera singer. She is known as a dramatic mezzo-soprano, which means she sings with a powerful, lower female voice. Tichina Vaughn has performed all over the world in operas, concerts, and special recitals.

She started her career in America at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Later, she moved to Europe and became a main singer at the Semperoper in Dresden and the Stuttgart Opera in Germany. In 2006, she received a special award called Kammersängerin for her amazing work in Stuttgart.

Tichina Vaughn has sung many important roles, especially in operas by famous composers like Verdi, Wagner, and Strauss. People describe her voice as "voluminous and dark" and "rich." Critics have praised her strong stage presence and powerful voice.

Early Life and Learning

Tichina Vaughn was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She started singing at just 6 years old in her church choir. As she grew older, she also learned to play the clarinet and performed in school bands.

She went to Northside High School for the Performing Arts, where she was a featured singer. After high school, in 1983, she began to formally study singing with a mezzo-soprano named Florence Kopleff at Georgia State University.

In 1985, Tichina continued her vocal studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She also attended a music program in Austria. She earned her bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance in 1989.

American Performances

Tichina Vaughn started her professional career after winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1989. This led her to join the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. She made her first stage appearance at the Met in 1990.

Her first main role was Amneris in Verdi's opera Aida at the Seattle Opera in 1992. This was a big success and led to many invitations to sing Aida in other cities like Detroit and Hong Kong. This helped her become known as a talented young Verdi mezzo-soprano. She also sang other important Verdi roles, like Princess Eboli in Don Carlos.

International Performances

Since the late 1990s, Tichina Vaughn has performed all around the world. She sings many Italian operas, but she also learned many German roles. For example, critics praised her performance as Klytemnestra in Elektra, saying she showed the character's sadness very well. Her role as Venus in Tannhäuser was also highly praised for her powerful voice and charm.

From 1998 to 2006, Tichina Vaughn was a main artist at the Staatsoper Stuttgart in Germany. She made her European debut there in 1996. In 2006, she was given the special title of Kammersängerin. While in Stuttgart, she performed many roles, including Azucena in Verdi's Il Trovatore and Fricka in Wagner's Die Walküre.

From 2010 to 2018, she was also a main artist at the Semperoper in Dresden, Germany. Here, she continued to sing famous roles like Azucena, Venus, and Ortrud in Wagner's Lohengrin.

Amneris, Arena di Verona 2006

Tichina Vaughn first performed at the famous Arena di Verona in Italy in 2003. She returned there many times, singing the role of Amneris in Aida. She has also sung the role of Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera on many stages worldwide, including the San Francisco Opera.

She has performed as Azucena in Il Trovatore at many opera houses, including the Greek National Opera and the Hungarian National Opera. Tichina Vaughn has also sung three different roles in Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera and other major venues.

Concerts and Recitals

Besides opera, Tichina Vaughn has performed in many major concerts. She has sung with orchestras like the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Taipei Symphony. She also performs Lieder (German art songs) and other recitals with pianists. Tichina Vaughn is also a talented jazz and gospel singer.

Personal Life

Tichina Vaughn has two children. She is also a singing teacher and gives masterclasses (special lessons) to other singers in Europe and the United States.

She has received many awards for her singing, including from the Metropolitan Opera National Council and the Richard Tucker Foundation. In 2015, she was recognized as a 'Role Model Beyond Beauty' for her career success and for giving back to her community.

Recordings

• 2005: Christmas at My House (audio)
• 2006: Stuttgarter Ring Cycle (audio)
• 2012: Schwanda, der Dudelsackpfeifer Semperoper Edition Vol.8 (audio)
• 2019: Porgy and Bess (audio)

Videos

• Puccini: Il Tabarro
• Wagner: Die Walküre

Opera Roles

Oratorio Roles

Images for kids

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  Tichina Vaughn as Amneris at Arena di Verona