On Jan. 4, 1937, Grace Bumbry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and eventually became one of the most influential operatic artists of the 20th century.
Bumbry grew up in a profoundly religious and musical family and began studying piano as a child. She decided to pursue singing after hearing Marian Anderson in concert. As a teenager, she sang in church and school performances and won a local radio talent contest, an experience that eventually led to national exposure and formal vocal studies. She trained at Boston University and Northwestern University before studying privately in California with the renowned soprano Lotte Lehmann, who became her mentor.
Her professional breakthrough came in Europe. In 1960, Bumbry made her operatic debut as Amneris in Verdi’s Aida at the Paris Opera. The following year, she achieved international fame at the Bayreuth Festival when she sang Venus in Wagner’s Tannhäuser. At age 24, she became the first Black singer to appear at the festival. Her performance drew controversy before the premiere but ended in prolonged applause, establishing her as a major international star.
Bumbry went on to sing at the world’s leading opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in London, La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Initially celebrated as a mezzo soprano, she was especially admired for roles such as Carmen, Eboli in Don Carlo and Amneris. In the 1970s, she expanded her repertoire to include dramatic soprano roles, appearing as Salome, Tosca, Norma and Gioconda.
Beyond opera, Bumbry was also known as a recitalist, teacher, and interpreter of art song. In later years, she focused much of her career in Europe and became a longtime resident of Switzerland before settling in Vienna.
Bumbry received numerous honors, including a Grammy Award, Kennedy Center Honors, and France’s Commandeur des Arts et Lettres. She died in Vienna on May 7, 2023, at age 86.
