Jessye Norman

Pure power and poetry

Top Classical, November 2020
Owing a powerful voice that allowed her to explore various genres, from sacred music to opera, Jessye Norman has been one of the most successful American singers. She won five Grammy Awards, four for her recordings and one for her career, and in 2009 she received the National Medal of Arts from Barack Obama. Thanks to her starring roles in classics such as Carmen and Aída and her performances at the Met, the Royal House and La Scala, she achieved world fame. 

Born September 15, 1945 in Augusta, Georgia, Norman grew up surrounded by music as one of five children in a family of amateur artists. She was introduced to gospel at age four, and as a young girl began listening to radio broadcasts of performances at the Metropolitan Opera, where she would eventually become legend. 

At a very young age, she began singing on the churches and her voice became soon noticed: she obtained a scholarship at Howard University in Washington (DC.) and completed her studies at Peabody University and the University of Michigan. 

She established herself in Europe in the 1970s, making her operatic debut in Berlin in 1969 before charming elsewhere on the continent including Italy. The first appearance was a performance at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Norman played Elizabeth brilliantly in the opera “Tannhäuser”. Then she was invited to La Scala Theatre, the Royal Opera House in London and the Salzburg Opera House Festival. The singer is known as the greatest soprano of the era. Her voice has been praised for her wideness, crystal-transparency, and great musicality. The audience was delighted with the bright temperament and distinctive appearance of the opera heroine. 

After conquering Europe, Norman returned home, where she performed brilliantly at the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Opera. She was not limited to classical arias, but she also excelled in the most demanding works composed by Strauss, Berlioz, Stravinsky, Meyer and Bartok. She devoted much of her musical life to singing Lieder recitals, symphonic and spiritual music. Her recording of Strauss’s Vier Letze Lieder (Four Last Songs), under the baton of Kurt Masur, is one of the best CD performances of this work. Her voice also graced the songs of Schubert, Mahler, Brahms, Janáček, Ravel, Poulenc, Schumann, Strauss, Wolf and Schoenberg. 

Norman has been one of the most decorated American singers. She won five Grammy Awards, four for her albums and one for her musical career. She received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor in 1997 (she was the youngest person to receive it) and the National Medal of Arts in 2009. She holds a slate of honorary doctorates from prestigious schools including Juilliard, Harvard and Yale. Besides her impressive stature, musical accomplishments she also served on a half dozen boards such as The New York Public Library, The Elton John Aids Foundation, NYC Meals on Wheels and the Lupus Foundation.  She started a music school in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia where students can study for free. 

The American soprano passed away on September 30, 2019, at the age of 74. Her priceless voice and her footprint for her great social implication will remain forever.