- Original name:
- Belle Miriam Silverman
- Died:
- July 2, 2007, New York City (aged 78)
- Awards And Honors:
- Kennedy Center Honors (1985)
- Grammy Award (1976)
Beverly Sills
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Who was Beverly Sills?
Beverly Sills (1929–2007) was a world-renowned American operatic soprano, celebrated for her vocal talent and acting. Sills debuted at age 46 at the Metropolitan Opera, after many years of international fame. Before her opera career, she appeared on radio programs and won talent shows as "Bubbles" Silverman.
Sills joined the New York City Opera in 1955 and gained international recognition in 1966 for her performance in Handel’s Giulio Cesare. She later performed in major European opera houses and debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1975. After retiring from singing, Sills directed the New York City Opera from 1979 to 1989 and later chaired New York’s Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera.
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What kind of music did Beverly Sills sing?
Beverly Sills was a celebrated American operatic soprano who achieved international recognition well before her debut at the Metropolitan Opera at the age of 46. Sills was known as a performer of the florid repertoire. Her performance in the New York City Opera’s 1966 production of George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare significantly boosted her career, showcasing both her vocal talent and acting skills. She also sang at La Scala in Milan (1969) and Covent Garden in London (1973). In 1975, she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in Gioachino Rossini’s The Siege of Corinth.
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What is an opera singer, and what do they do?
An opera singer is a vocalist who performs in operas, which are staged dramas set entirely to music. These singers, often called vocalists, use their voices to convey the story and emotions of the opera, supported by an orchestra and other performers.
Beverly Sills (1929-2007) was a celebrated American operatic soprano who achieved international recognition. Sills debuted at the Metropolitan Opera at age 46. After retiring from singing, she became an advocate for the arts. Sills was the director of the New York City Opera from 1979 to 1989 and later chaired New York’s Lincoln Center board from 1994 to 2002 and the Metropolitan Opera board from 2003 to 2005.
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What were some of Beverly Sills's most famous roles or performances?
Beverly Sills was a celebrated American operatic soprano, renowned for her vocal talent and acting. Sills gained international recognition for her performance as Cleopatra in the New York City Opera's 1966 production of George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare. Her notability as a performer of florid repertoire grew from this role.
Sills debuted with the New York City Opera in 1955 as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. She sang in Don Giovanni, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Il Trittico after returning to the stage in 1963. In 1975, she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in Gioachino Rossini’s The Siege of Corinth, which was very well received.
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How did Beverly Sills influence American opera?
Beverly Sills significantly impacted American opera through her performances and advocacy. Although she achieved international fame before her debut at the Metropolitan Opera at age 46, she became a member of the New York City Opera in 1955. Her performance in Giulio Cesare in 1966 brought her international prominence as a performer. From 1979 to 1989, she directed the New York City Opera, consolidating Julius Rudel's legacy and improving the opera's financial and administrative condition. Sills later became chairman of the board of New York’s Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera, solidifying her role as a fundraiser and arts advocate.
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What did Beverly Sills do after she stopped performing on stage?
After retiring from her singing career, Beverly Sills became an advocate and fundraiser for the arts. From 1979 to 1989, she served as the director of the New York City Opera, where she improved the company’s financial and administrative operations. Later, from 1994 to 2002, she was chairman of the board of New York’s Lincoln Center, and from 2003 to 2005, she held the same position at the Metropolitan Opera.
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Beverly Sills (born May 25, 1929, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.—died July 2, 2007, New York City) was an American operatic soprano who won international fame many years before her Metropolitan Opera debut at age 46. After retirement from her singing career, she became a notable arts advocate and fundraiser.
Sills was early destined by her mother for a career in the performing arts. At age four, as “Bubbles” Silverman, she first appeared on Uncle Bob’s Rainbow House, a Saturday morning radio program, and she became a regular. She won a prize on Major Bowes’s The Original Amateur Hour at age 10, made a couple of motion picture shorts, and became a regular on Major Bowes Capitol Family Hour and, later, on the radio soap opera Our Gal Sunday, on which she played a “nightingirl of the mountains.” At age 12 she retired to complete her education in public schools and at the Professional Children’s School in New York, from which she graduated in 1945. Also that year she toured with a Gilbert and Sullivan opera company and in 1947 made her operatic debut with the Philadelphia Civic Opera. She spent several years traveling with touring opera companies and making guest appearances in various opera centres throughout the United States. In 1955 she became a member of the company of the New York City Opera and made her debut as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.
Sills married Peter B. Greenough in 1956. The difficult circumstances of their children—one born deaf and the other severely mentally handicapped and autistic—forced Sills to leave the stage in 1961. She returned in 1963 to sing in Don Giovanni, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Il Trittico. Her performance as Cleopatra in the New York City Opera company’s 1966 production of George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare—noteworthy for her evident vocal accomplishment and the subtlety of her acting ability—brought her to international prominence as a performer of the florid repertoire and made her a celebrity.
Sills then made several appearances in European opera houses, including La Scala in Milan (1969) and Covent Garden in London (1973). Her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Pamira in Gioachino Rossini’s The Siege of Corinth in 1975, was a phenomenal success. She wrote autobiographies: Bubbles: A Self-Portrait (1976) and Beverly (1987). From 1979 to 1989 she was director of the New York City Opera, consolidating the legacy of Julius Rudel while improving its financial and administrative condition. From 1994 to 2002 she was chairman of the board of New York’s Lincoln Center, and from 2003 to 2005 she was chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Opera.