Battle, Kathleen (1948–)

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Battle, Kathleen (1948–)

African-American soprano. Born Aug 13, 1948, in Portsmouth, Ohio; dau. of a steelworker; earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.

Made professional debut at the Spoleto Festival (1972) and Metropolitan debut 5 years later as the Shepherd in Tannhauser (1977); has appeared at the world's leading opera houses and often sang under the baton of James Levine; 5-time Grammy winner, became renowned for her interpretations of the light lyric repertoire, especially the soubrette roles of Mozart and Richard Strauss, as well as for recitals of German Lieder and Negro spirituals; presented André Previn's song cycle Honey and Rue (text by Toni Morrison) at Carnegie Hall (1992).