Price, Leontyne (1927–)

African-American soprano. Born Mary Violet Leontine Price in Laurel, MS, Feb 10, 1927; graduate of Wilberforce College (later Central State University); attended Juilliard School of Music; studied with Florence Page Kimball; m. William Warfield (baritone), Aug 31, 1952 (div. 1967).

Gave 1st public recital (1943); enrolled at Juilliard (1948), even though opportunities for African-Americans in classical opera were extremely limited; with William Warfield, toured with Porgy and Bess (1952), to great reviews; sang Tosca for NBC-TV's Opera Theater (1955), though 11 NBC affiliates in the South refused to carry the show; appeared in 3 other NBC Opera Theaters, Mozart's The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni and as Madame Lidoine in Poulenc's Dialogue of the Carmelites, over next 5 years; made American opera debut as Madame Lidoine in San Francisco (1957), and remained with San Francisco Opera for next 10 years, singing the title role in Aïda, Doña Anna in Don Giovanni, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera and Doña Elvira in Ernani; made European debut in Aïda at Vienna Staatsoper (1958), followed by productions in Paris, London and, finally, at La Scala (1960); debuted at the Met, only the 5th black artist to sing a leading role there, when she appeared as Leonora in Il Trovatore to great acclaim (1961); became especially known for her interpretations of many of Verdi's heroines during 24-year tenure with the Met; performed in Ariadne auf Naxos at San Francisco Opera (1977), considered by many to be her finest work; retired from opera stage (1985), concentrating on more intimate concert settings, and on teaching and recording; raised money for NAACP, Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change, and National Urban League. Won 19 Grammys and 3 Emmys; received the Kennedy Center award and President's Medal of Freedom.

See also Women in World History.