Bumbry, Grace (1937–)

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Bumbry, Grace (1937–)

African-American mezzo-soprano. Born Grace Ann Bumbry, Jan 4, 1937, in St, Louis, Missouri; studied at Boston and Northwestern universities and with Lotte Lehmann.

Was a winner on "The Arthur Godfrey Show" (1954); made concert debut in London (1959); debuted with Paris Opera as Amneris (1960); was featured as Venus in a new production of Tannhauser at Bayreuth (1961), the 1st black to sing there (won the Wagner Medal); gave more than 170 performances at NY's Metropolitan Opera; scored a tour de force singing both Cassandra in Part I and Dido in Part II of Berlioz's Les Troyens at Paris's Bastille Opera (1990); recorded on 4 labels and sang in concerts worldwide, including opera houses in Vienna, London, Salzburg and Milan; performed all of the great Verdi and French mezzo-soprano roles, such as Carmen, Delilah, Azucena, Eboli, and Amneris, as well as soprano parts. Was the 1st recipient of the Lawrence Tibbett Award.