Renee Fleming

At 65 years old, Renee Fleming has this physical status:

Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano known for appearances in opera, recordings, theater, and film, as well as at major public venues.

Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.

Apart from her native English, she has performed coloratura, lyric, and a lighter spin to soprano operatic roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, Czech, and Russian.

She has also performed and recorded lieder, chansons, jazz, musical theatre, and indie rock.

She speaks fluent German and French, as well as limited Italian.

Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Desdemona in Dvordi's La traviata, the title role in Massenet's Rusalka, the Marschallin in Desmond's La fa, and the Countess in Capriccio are among her signature roles. She appears in opera houses and concert halls around the world as the National Medal of Arts, Richard Tucker Award, and Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal winner.

She is the first classical artist to have performed the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

She took the name 'Cert Advisor' to the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2010, becoming the first person to hold such a post at the company. "I have only encountered maybe two sopranos with this level of singing in my long life," conductor Sir Georg Solti said of Fleming; the other was Renata Tebaldi.

Early life and education

Fleming was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the daughter of two music educators and a young student at the University of Pennsylvania, and grew up in Churchville, New York. She has great-grandparents who were born in Prague and then emigrated to the United States. Fleming attended Churchill-Chili High School.

Patricia Misslin, a student at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York in Potsdam, worked with her. She began singing with a jazz trio in an off-campus bar named Alger's while attending SUNY Potsdam. Illinois Jacquet, the jazz saxophonist, was invited to tour with his big band, but she decided not to enroll in graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, with voice teacher John Maloy.

Fleming spent several summers at Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS), where she worked with Jan DeGaetani and Edward Berkeley and was directed by Edward Berkeley. She appeared in Anne Sexton's Transformations (1983), her first appearance in Conrad Susa's Transformations (1984), where she appeared in most of her major opera house debuts; and in Stravinsky's The Raking's Progress (1987). During her stay in Aspen and the Marschallin, she also appeared in scenes from Der Rosenkavalier, making it one of her calling-card appearances at opera houses around the world.

She earned a Fulbright Scholarship in 1985, which enabled her to work in Europe with Arleen Augér and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. She performed at jazz clubs for further study at the Juilliard School. She appeared in performances with the Juilliard Opera Center, including Musetta in Puccini's La bohème and the Wife in Menotti's Tamu-Tamu. Beverley Peck Johnson, Juilliard's voice tutor, was Beverley Peck Johnson.

Personal life

Fleming has been married twice. Rick Ross, a director from Fleming, married actress Rick Ross in 1989 and the couple had two children. In 2000, the couple divorced. Tim Jessell, a tax attorney who appeared on a blind date set up by author Ann Patchett, married Fleming on September 3, 2011.

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Career

When still a Juilliard graduate student, Fleming began to perform professionally in smaller concerts and with small opera companies. During the 1980s, she performed often in the Musica Viva concert series backed by the New York Unitarian Church of All Souls. In 1984, she performed nine songs by Hugo Wolf in Eliot Feld's ballet Adieu, which she performed again at the Joyce Theater in 1987 and 1989. Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, her first major operatic role, appeared at the Salzburger Landestheater in 1986. In Jean-Philippe Rameau's Platée, she portrayed Thalie, Clarine, and La Folie, and La Folie in La Folie, two years ago.

Her big break came in 1988, when she took the Metropolitan Opera Auditions at age 29. In her debut with The Marriage of Figaro that year, she starred the Countess. In her first appearance at the Spoleto Festival the following year, she reprised the role. Fleming made her debut with the New York City Opera in 1989 as Mim in La bohème, conductor Chris Nance's debut with The Royal Opera, London, as Dircé in Cherubini's Médée. She was also given a Richard Tucker Career Grant and the George London Competition.

The Richard Tucker Music Foundation had once more honoured her in 1990, but this time with the much coveted Richard Tucker Award. In the same year she made her debut with Seattle Opera in her first appearance as a champion in Rusalka, a role she has since played and reprised at several of the world's best opera houses. She appeared in Bizet's Carmen for the 50th anniversary of the American Ballet Theatre in their production of Eliot Feld's Les Noces and then returned to the New York City Opera to perform both the Countess and Micala. Maria Padilla, Donizetti's 1841 opera, appeared in the premiere performance of Opera Omaha in the United States. In addition,, she appeared in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with the Opera Orchestra of New York.

On Live from Lincoln Center, Fleming's first television appearance appeared in January 1991, performing the Cherry Duet from Mascagni's L'amico Fritz. Fleming appeared in Le nozze di Figaro in 1991, making her Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera debut as Countess Almaviva. She had not intended to make her Met debut until the following season, but she stepped in to substitute Felicity Lott, who had become sick, but she returned to the Met later this year to perform Rosina in the world premiere of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as Ravel with the New York City Opera Orchestra, performed Rusalka with Houston Grand Opera, and appeared in Mozart's Idomeneo with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, extending her career.

Fleming appeared in Mozart's Cosfan tutte in 1992, and she performed Anna in Boieldieu's La dame blanche at Alice Tully Hall as part of the Lincoln Center's Festival of Mozart Operas in Concert.

In a concert performance by the Opera Orchestra of New York, Fleming performed Alaide; made her debut at the Rossini Opera Festival in the title role of Rossini's Armida; and debuting with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the title role of Carlisle Floyd's Susannah.

She performed her first solo recital appearance at Alice Tully Hall in Mozart's The Magic Flute, performed by the Metropolitan Opera, under James Levine, and appeared in Alban Berg's "Three Excerpts from Wozzeck and the "Lulu Suite" with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

In the world premiere of John Kander's Letter From Sullivan Ballou in the Aspen Chamber Symphony and the world premiere of his brother's Fanfare with Pinchas Zukerman and the Aspen Chamber Symphony, as well as in the world premiere of his Letter From Sullivan Ballou at the Richard Tucker Awards ceremony.

The American soprano Arleen Auger died of cancer in June 1993. During Auger's funeral in Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in New York City, Fleming performed some recital pieces.

Fleming performed her first Desdemona in Verdi's Otello and her first Ellen Orford in Britten's Peter Grimes during the 1993/1994 season, both with the Metropolitan Opera. In Le nozze di Figaro, she made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as the Countess. In addition, she appeared in Madame de Tourvel's world premiere in Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons. Salome in Massenet's Hérodiade was included in the 1994/1995 San Francisco Opera's season.

Fleming performed the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier with Houston Grand Opera; performed in Salomé with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall; and sang Rusalka with the San Francisco Opera in 1995. Fiordiligi in Cos. fan tutte with Solti at Royal Festival Hall in London followed a lauded recital at the Morgan Library.

A highlight of 1996 was her signing of an exclusive recording deal with the London/Decca label, making her the first American singer to do so in 31 years, with Marilyn Horne being the first American artist to do so.

In 1996, Rossini's Armida appeared in the Pesaro Festival in Italy. Fiordiligi in Cos followed, as did the soprano solo in the Verdi Requiem with Luciano Pavarotti and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She made her debut in the role of Marguerite in Gounod's Faust, and with the Paris Opera she sang Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Solti selected Fleming to be the first recipient of his "Solti Prize," an award given to an outstanding younger artist and presented by the "Académie du disque lyrique" in a homage to the Grammy Awards. Fleming made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Eva in Wagner's Meistersinger. Recitals at the Edinburgh International Festival and Alice Tully Hall were among her other appearances.

In 1997, Manuela Bastille's first Manon received lauding feedback. She also reprised the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, as well as performing Marguerite in Faust and Rusalka at the Met.

Two concert appearances followed: first with the New York Philharmonic and then with Zubin Mehta's performance of opera arias; second performance in Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate, and three songs with Kurt Masur. She appeared at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and performed Samuel Barber's Knoxville under André Previn's guidance in 1915. She appeared at recitals as well as at renowned venues such as the Salzburg Festival.

In 1998, two title roles were given to Fleming. These were Richard Strauss' Arabella with Houston Grand Opera and Carlisle Floyd's Susannah. Also, Countess Almaviva appeared in Le nozze di Figaro, which also included Cecilia Bartoli, Susanne Mentzer, Dwayne Croft, Danielle de Niese, and Bryn Terfel, and was shown on PBS' Great Performances. At the Salzburg Festival, she performed Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs with Claudio Abbado and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra on her debut in Carnegie Hall and performed Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs. And then with the Berlin Philharmonic later this year.

Blanche DuBois was the female principal of Blanche DuBois' A Streetcar Named Desire with the San Francisco Opera in September 1998.

The Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier appeared at the Bavarian State Opera in 1999, and she returned to Carnegie Hall with a great success with a performance of German lieder. She appeared in recital with André Previn and made her debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. The Beautiful Voice, Fleming's Album, received her a Grammy Award last year.

Handel's Alcina with Les Arts Florissants and conductor William Christie, as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Charpentier's Louise were given performances in two new title roles: Les Arts Florissants and Orchestral's Les Arts Florissants, as well as Charlese, San Francisco Opera and Théâtre du Capitole. Fleming ended the year by appearing for President Bill Clinton at the White House for a Christmas party.

Fleming appeared in the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Covent Garden as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, 2000, and he appeared in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with the Opera Orchestra of New York.

Donna Anna appeared in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival and in the Met as Donna Anna. She appeared in Haydn's Creation under James Levine and appeared with the Orchestra of St. Luke's under Mark Elder as part of the PBS series Live From Lincoln Center and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In June of that year, she was at the funeral of New York Archbishop Edward Egan.

Manon at the Paris Opera, Manon with the Paris Opera, the Marschallin with both the San Francisco Opera and Met, and Arabella at both the Bavarian State Opera and the Met opened the 2001/02 Lyric Opera of Chicago season, Desdemona in Otello. She appeared in Verdi's Requiem twice, once with the London Symphony Orchestra and then with the New York Philharmonic. The Fleming musical performed at the World Trade Center site just after the September 11 attacks.

In 2002, Fleming provided the vocals for Howard Shore's soundtrack for The Return of the King. "The End of All Things," "Twilight and Shadow," and "The Return of The King" (Original Soundtrack) and "The Fellowship Reunited" (The Complete Recordings) feature her singing. She appeared in many concerts in the United Kingdom with Bryn Terfel and gave the most extensive recital tour of her career, appearing in scores of recitals with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet throughout Asia, Europe, Australia, and Asia. In addition, she played Rusalka in Bellini's Il pirata with Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Imogene and Violetta in La traviata's 2003 career spanned her career at the Metropolitan Opera in La traviata. In comparison to Rusalka at Covent Garden and another Violetta with Houston Grand Opera, she played the title role in Massenet's Tha's with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. At the Barbican Centre in London, a revival of Blanche in Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire took place.

In 2004, Met performances continued, with Fleming portraying Rodelinda in Handel's opera and reimagining Rusalka and Violetta at the Met. In addition, she performed her first Countess in Capriccio with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many others. Recitals were held in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and the United States, as well as in several concerts with Elton John at Radio City Music Hall. The Penguin Group published The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer, her first book, in 2004.

Manon at the Met, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, and Tha's in Vienna were among Massenet's 2005 performances, in addition to concert with the Berlin Philharmonic (Mahler's Symphony No. 1). The London Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, and many others performer's Seven Early Songs, conducted by Claudio Abbado, were among other orchestras, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were among many other groups.

Fleming performed in solo at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Sir Andrew Davis, sang Violetta in La traviata with Los Angeles Opera; and performed Manon and Rodelinda in the Met's touring production to Japan. Several recitals and concerts took place throughout the United States, Italy, Russia, Sweden, and Austria, the former being the 250th anniversary of Mozart's 250th birthday with the Vienna Philharmonic, which was broadcast live around the world. She has also recorded song cycles with pianist Brad Mehldau, which were released as Love Sublime.

Violetta returned to Chicago the following year; Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and Violetta were on display at the Metropolitan Opera in Zurich; Thas in Eugene Onegin and Violetta was seen at the Zurich Opera, London; and Tharpe Le Châtelet, Barcelona's musical legend; and Le Petit du Châtelet, Barcelona. Over a dozen orchestras have performed, including the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, where she appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist. In addition, Fleming appeared at several music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival and the Lincoln Center Festival, and she gave recitals throughout Southeast Asia, Germany, and Switzerland.

Fleming became the first woman in the Metropolitan Opera's 125-year history to perform solo on September 22, 2008. In act 2 of Verdi's La traviata; Manon in act 3 of Massenet's Manon; and the Countess in the final scene of Strauss' Capriccio. In Times Square, the performance was also broadcast live in HD to screens. The 2008/09 season culminated in the performance at the Metropolitan Opera, Countes in Capriccio, and Lucrezia Borgia at the Washington National Opera.

Fleming premiered the complete version of Le temps l'horloge by Henri Dutilleux in 2009. Violetta at the Metropolitan Opera in Covent Garden and Rusalka, the Marschallin, the Baden-Baden Festival, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and the Metropolitan Opera were among the performances at the Baden-Baden Festival, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and the Metropolitan Opera. At the Festival del Sole in Napa, she performed a variety of short pieces.

Fleming appeared in the first concert of the New York Philharmonic's 2009-10 season. It was the first appearance of conductor Alan Gilbert as the New York Philharmonic's music director, as seen live on Lincoln Center. Poèmes pour mi by Olivier Messiaen's song cycle.

Fleming appeared in Mary Zimmerman's latest production of Rossini's Armida during the first-ever staging of the opera by the company during the 2009-10 Metropolitan Opera season. She and the Countess in Capriccio returned to their roles during the Met's 2010-2011 season.

Fleming appeared at a concert in Prague arranged by Václav Havel on the 20th anniversary of the Czech Velvet Revolution, which also included Lou Reed, Joan Baez, and others. In a duet with Reed, Fleming sang "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka, Czech Republic, and also sang "Perfect Day" on a duet with Reed.

Fleming talked about her opinion of the conflict between opera classicists and those who want to reinterpret the codes, stating that she is not a reactionary. When they've been well thought out, I've loved some of [these productions]. I have no problem with edgy as long as it is not vulgar or disrespectful of the piece." She said that her "classic" image indicated that she was unlikely to be asked to appear in such productions. Fleming said in a separate interview that she prefers performing in concerts rather than opera productions, and that having attended more than 50 operas, she is unlikely to learn much more.

Richard Strauss, Dvok, and Smetana performed songs at the Last Night of the Proms in London in 2010. Fleming was named Creative Consultant by the Board of Directors of Lyric Opera of Chicago in December, the first in the company's history.

Fleming and Prince Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock in Monte Carlo married on July 2, 2011. In the opening festivities of the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, Fleming headlined a gala concert on October 21, 2011. Fleming appeared in the title role of Handel's Rodelinda at the Metropolitan Opera in November 2011, the first time the company had ever presented the work.

Fleming appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra on January 29, 2011 for the Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert. Paul Simon appeared at the festival, and "The Sounds of Silence" was performed by Fleming and Co. Fleming performed A.R. on November 11, 2011, the 11th anniversary of the A.R. Alec Baldwin's Love Letters with Gurney at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Fleming, a creative consultant to Chicago's Second City comeback troupe, helped create Second City's Guide to the Opera, which was performed at the Lyric Opera on January 5, 2013. For the sold-out appearance, Fleming co-hosted and co-starred actor Patrick Stewart.

Fleming performed the world premiere of The Strand Settings at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic on April 26, 2013. Anders Hillborg, a Swedish composer, and the work, which is shown as part of Fleming's Perspectives residency at Carnegie Hall, is based on poems by Canadian poet Mark Strand. The performance was lauded for five minutes by a ten-minute ovation. Fleming appeared in André Previn's operatic version of A Streetcar Named Desire at Carnegie Hall in New York and later in Chicago and Los Angeles. Fleming was described by Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty as "the rare opera singer whose expressive vocal range is almost equaled by a gestural eloquence."

Fleming appeared with Kelli O'Hara in a new version of the operetta The Merry Widow at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in January 2015. Susan Stroman, the recipient of five Tony Awards, produced the show. Fleming made her Broadway debut in a new comedy by Joe DiPietro, Living on Love, directed by Kathleen Marshall at the Longacre Theatre in April 2015. In the production, Douglas Sills, Anna Chlumsky, and Jerry O'Connell all appeared.

Fleming performed at Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Gala on May 5, 2016. Itzhak Perlman, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, and others appeared. Richard Gere was the host. Fleming performed jazz with bassist Christian McBride at Wigmore Hall in London on December 9, 2016.

Fleming played the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier for the final time at the Metropolitan Opera on May 13, 2017. Fleming said in an interview that she will continue to work in new roles in the future.

In a 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel at the Imperial Theatre, Fleming played Nettie Fowler. The show was produced by Scott Rudin and directed by Jack O'Brien, and it received 11 Tony Award nominations, one for Fleming herself.

At Senator John McCain's funeral service held at the Washington National Cathedral on September 1, 2018, Fleming performed "Danny Boy." Fleming performed at the Carnegie Hall first night gala with Audra McDonald and the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas on October 2, 2018.

Fleming appeared opposite actor Ben Whishaw in Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, the first performance in the Kenneth C. Griffin Theater in Manhattan, between April and May 2019. Ben Brantley, a theater critic for the New York Times, wrote this article: "Ben Brantley, a theater critic, wrote: "In his article, he said:

Penelope, a project between Tom Stoppard and André Previn and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, was performed on July 24, 2019. actress Uma Thurman, who provided narration for the spoken word, was joined by Fleming. Fleming co-starred with Dove Cameron and Alex Jennings in the London premiere of The Light in the Piazza, which received six Tony awards when it first opened on Broadway in 2005. "The first London staging is lucky to have netted Renée Fleming for the central role of Margaret... Fleming, a British actor, makes the change to Broadway style with a natural ease, expressing the spoken dialogue with wit and reassurance," Rupert Christiansen said in his review of the musical. When the performance was staged in Los Angeles and Chicago later this year, Fleming played the same role.

The Brightness of Light, a collection of letters between Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, was also premiered by Fleming in 2019. Fleming appeared in concert at Tanglewood, Santa Fe, Aspen, and the Kennedy Center.

Fleming appeared in a live concert titled "A Time to Sing" with Vanessa Williams on September 25, 2020, for a tiny, socioeconomically disinterested audience in the Kennedy Center Opera House. The performance, the first on a stage inside the Kennedy Center since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown caused by the March 13 shutdown, was also live streamed.

President Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris pretended in as president and vice president of the United States on January 20, 2021. The Senate and House of Representatives also hosted the Democratic and Republican leaders.

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