International opera star Jessye Norman has died, aged 74.
The four-time Grammy Award winner and National Medal of Arts recipient passed away at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York on Monday morning (30Sep19) after suffering septic shock and multi-organ failure.
“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 source of joy,” a family statement reads. “We are equally proud of her humanitarian endeavors, addressing matters such as hunger, homelessness, youth development, and arts and culture education.”
Born in September, 1945 in Augusta, Georgia, Norman grew up singing in her local church and earned a scholarship to the historically black college Howard University in Washington, D.C. to study music. She also studied at the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Michigan.
She made her operatic debut in 1969 in Berlin, and has thrilled audiences in Milan, London and New York.
A real trailblazer, she remains one of the only black opera singers to attain global success, performing at places like La Scala in Italy and New York’s Metropolitan Opera, and landing title roles in productions of Carmen and Aida.
She made history in 1997 when she became the youngest person ever to earn a Kennedy Center Honor at the age of 52. She received her National Medal of Arts from former President Barack Obama and has earned honorary doctorates from a number of prestigious schools, including Juilliard, Harvard and Yale. She earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
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