Arroyo, Martina (1935–)

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Arroyo, Martina (1935–)

African-American soprano. Born Feb 2, 1935, in New York, NY; studied with Marinka Gurevich and at Hunter College with Joseph Turnau.

Was co-winner of Metropolitan Opera Auditions with Grace Bumbry (1958); debuted at Metropolitan Opera (1959) as the Celestial Voice in Don Carlos; appeared in Vienna, Frankfurt, Berlin and Zurich (1963–68) and at Covent Garden (1968–80); excelled in Verdi operas that called for a lirico-spinto soprano voice, especially as Aïda, Amelia (in Un ballo in maschera), Leonora (in La forza del destino), and Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (in Don Giovanni).

See also Women in World History.