Shirley Verrett
Shirley Verrett was born on May 31, 1931, and passed away on November 5, 2010. She was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who successfully took on soprano roles, making her a soprano sfogato. She was very famous from the late 1960s until the 1990s.
Grace Bumbry
Grace Melzia Bumbry (January 4, 1937 – May 7, 2023) was an American opera singer who was one of the most important mezzo-sopranos of her time. She also sang in soprano roles. She was a pioneer for African-American classical singers and became famous worldwide for playing the role of Venus in Tannhäuser at the 1961 Bayreuth Festival, making her the first Black singer to perform there.
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Berneice Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She performed roles that needed a beautiful singing voice, good control of breathing, and the ability to sing complex musical parts. She has received the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors and has won four Grammy Awards.
Leonard Warren
Leonard Warren was born on April 21, 1911, and died on March 4, 1960. He was an American baritone singer who performed important roles with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for many years. He was especially known for singing the main baritone parts in operas by Giuseppe Verdi.
Robert Merrill
Robert Merrill was born on June 4, 1917, and passed away on October 23, 2004. He was an American baritone singer in operas and an actor who performed in musical theatre. In 1993, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.
Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett was born on November 16, 1896, and died on July 15, 1960. He was an American opera singer, recording artist, film actor, and radio personality. Tibbett had a baritone voice, which was large, deep, and rich in tone.
Tito Gobbi
Tito Gobbi was born on October 24, 1913, and died on March 5, 1984. He was an Italian operatic baritone who became well-known worldwide for his singing. Gobbi began his operatic career in 1935 in Gubbio, Italy, where he performed the role of Count Rodolfo in Bellini’s La sonnambula.
Sherrill Milnes
Sherrill Milnes was born on January 10, 1935. He is an American dramatic baritone known for performing Verdi’s operas. From 1965 to 1997, he was connected with the Metropolitan Opera.
Giuseppe Di Stefano
Giuseppe Di Stefano was born on July 24, 1921, and passed away on March 3, 2008. He was an Italian operatic tenor who performed professionally from the middle of the 1940s until the early 1990s. Fans and friends called him “Pippo,” and he was often referred to as “The Golden Voice” or “The Most Beautiful Voice.” He was considered the true successor of Beniamino Gigli, a famous singer.
Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli was born on April 8, 1921, and passed away on October 29, 2003. He was an Italian tenor who performed in operas internationally from 1951 to 1976. He was especially known for singing spinto and dramatic tenor roles in Italian and French operas.