Wilhelmenia Fernandez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelmenia Fernandez
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| Born | 5 January 1949 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | 6 February 2024 (aged 75) |
| Genres | Opera (soprano) |
| Occupation(s) | solo singer |
Wilhelmenia Fernandez was a talented American singer known as a soprano. She was also sometimes called Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez. She was born on January 5, 1949, and passed away on February 6, 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Music Training
Wilhelmenia Fernandez was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She started her music journey at the Philadelphia Academy of Vocal Arts. After that, she earned a special scholarship. This allowed her to study at the famous Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
Her First Big Opera Role
Wilhelmenia's first major performance in an opera was as the character Bess. This was in the opera Porgy and Bess. She performed this role for the Houston Grand Opera. This production was very popular. It toured across the United States and even went to Europe.
Performing Around the World
Wilhelmenia Fernandez made her first appearance in Paris, France. She played the role of Musetta in the opera La bohème. She performed alongside famous singers like Plácido Domingo and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. In 1982, she sang the same role at the New York City Opera.
Since then, she performed in many operas and concerts. She traveled to cities all over the world.
Famous Opera Roles
Some of her most well-known roles included the main characters in:
For her role in Carmen Jones, she won a special award. It was the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1992. She was named Best Actress in a Musical. She performed Aïda in amazing places. These included Luxor and near the ancient Egyptian pyramids.
Recordings and Film Work
Wilhelmenia Fernandez also made several music recordings. She recorded songs by George Gershwin. She also recorded traditional Negro spirituals.
Her Role in the Film Diva
In 1981, Wilhelmenia appeared in a French film called Diva. The movie was directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix. This was her only role in a feature film. However, she did sing on the soundtrack for another movie. That film was called Someone to Watch Over Me. She also appeared as herself on television shows.
See also
In Spanish: Wilhelmenia Fernandez para niños
