jessye norman
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Homecoming Queen: Phylicia Rashad Is the New Dean of Howard University's College of Fine Arts
“You learn something once, and it’s yours for life…you’ve got big dreams, you want fame. Well, fame costs, and right here is where you start paying—in sweat.” OK, so it was Phylicia Rashad’s younger sister Debbie Allen who famously said those lines to a (fictional) classroom of young aspiring talents—but it will be Ms. Rashad…
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From Carmen to Nefertiti, J'Nai Bridges Is the Next Big Voice in Opera
Amid the surrealist sets, majestic costumes, soaring voices and intricate harmonies of the Met Opera’s current revival of Philip Glass’ Akhnaten, based on the 17-year reign of the revolutionary 18th Dynasty Egyptian king, one of the most striking elements is that of his famed queen, Nefertiti. Performed by mezzo-soprano sensation J’Nai Bridges (pronounced “Jah-Nay”), Nefertiti…
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Jessye Norman, Heralded Soprano of the Opera World, Dies at 74
Jessye Norman, the internationally celebrated soprano, died surrounded by loved ones Monday, of complications suffered as the result of a 2015 spinal cord injury, her family announced. She was 74. “We are so proud of Jessye’s musical achievements and the inspiration that she provided to audiences around the world that will continue to be a…