About
Beverly Sills, born Belle Miriam Silverman, was one of the most celebrated American sopranos. She began singing on the radio as a child and performed on the world's major opera stages, including La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera. She was particularly admired for her bel canto roles, such as Donizetti's Tudor queens. After retiring in 1980, she led the New York City Opera, becoming the first woman to hold that post, and later chaired Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera. She received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Major works
- Bubbles: A Self-Portrait (1976)autobiography
- Beverly (1987)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1966Breaks through to international stardom as Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare at New York City Opera.
- 1975Makes her long-awaited Metropolitan Opera debut in Rossini's The Siege of Corinth, receiving an 18-minute ovation.
- 1980Becomes General Director of the New York City Opera, the first woman and first performer to hold the post.
Themes
Bel cantoOperaArts administrationOvercoming disabilitiesJewish heritage
Sources: id.loc.gov · britannica.com · kennedy-center.org