empty cell Jessye Norman
Jessye Norman was an American opera singer renowned for her powerful soprano and commanding stage presence. Born in Augusta, Georgia, she studied at Howard University, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Michigan. She made her operatic debut in 1969 in Berlin as Elisabeth in Wagner's "Tannhäuser." Throughout her career, she performed in leading opera houses worldwide, with a repertoire that included works by Beethoven, Wagner, Berlioz, and Bartók. Her recording of Strauss's "Four Last Songs" won the Gramophone Award in 1984. Norman was also known for her humanitarian efforts, including founding the Jessye Norman School of the Arts in Augusta in 2003. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 74.
