Regarded by critics as one of the greatest ever sopranos, Leontyne Price rose to
prominence in the 1950s and 1960s when her extraordinary voice led her to become
one of the first African Americans to be prominent within New York's prestigious
Metropolitan Opera. Her musical classification is that of a 'spinto soprano' -
the term given to a particularly versatile type of lyric soprano.
Born in Laurel, Mississippi, during her childhood she sang in the local choir.
As a teenager, Price was mentored by Paul Robeson, the famous bass singer and
also by her employer Elizabeth Chishol...