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 Chisholm, for whom Price worked as a laundress. Between them her two adult mentors helped her enrol at Juilliard School in New York. Through sheer hard work during the next few years Price began to get noticed by the opera establishment, eventually making her Grand Opera stage debut in 1957 as Madame Lidoine in 'Dialogues of the Carmelites'.

After initially turning down offers to appear at the Metropolitan Opera, Price finally agreed to join the company in 1961 and made her performing debut at the theatre along with the Italian tenor Franco Corelli in a performance of 'Il Trovatore'. The duo's sensational performance led to a standing ovation lasting over 35 minutes, the longest in the Met's history. It was the start of a successful association with the company which reached its peak in 1966 with her acclaimed appearance in 'Anthony and Cleopatra'. In her later career she concentrated on concerts and recitals rather than opera, and in 2001 she briefly came out of retirement to sing a benefit concert for victims of the 9/11 attack.

Leontyne Price

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