Born:
May 25, 1929 - Brooklyn, New York
Died:
July 2, 2007 - New York City
Quick Facts:
- Beverly Sills is a stage name she acquired in 1936. She was born as Belle Miriam Silverman. While growing up, she spoke five languages: Russian, Yiddish, French, Romanian, and English.
- Ms. Sills retired from opera in 1980, but remained active in the music community. She became the General Director for the New York Opera, Chairman of Lincoln Center (1994), and Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera (2002).
- Ms. Sills recorded eighteen full-length operas as well as starring in eight televised performances on PBS throughout her operatic career.
- Sills married Peter Greenough in 1956, and gives birth to Meredith in 1959.
Sills' Famous Opera Roles:
- as The Queen of Shemakha in Rimsky-Korsakov's Le Coq d'Or
- as Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
- as Suor Angelica, Giorgetta, and Lauretta in Puccini's trilogy Il Trittico
- as Manon in Massenet's Manon
- as Pamira in Rossini's The Siege of Corinth
Family Background and Childhood:
Beverly Sills' parents were first generation immigrants of Ukrainian and Romanian Jewish decent. After winning a contest at the age of three and performing on a Saturday morning radio show, Sills began taking voice lessons with Estelle Liebling at the age of seven. When Sills was ten, she became a winner on the CBS Radio show, Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, which lead to her continual involvement in Major Bowes' Capitol Family Hour.
Sills' Career Beginnings and Operatic Debut:
In 1945, at the young age of sixteen, Sills made her professional debut touring with Gilbert and Sullivan repertory company. After performing in operetta's for several years, she made her operatic debut as the Spanish gypsy Frasquita in Bizet's Carmen. Between 1947 and 1955, Sills performed with several touring companies where she gained the skills necessary to make her one of America's favorite operatic stars. In 1955, Sills took the stage at the New York City Opera as Rosalinde in Strauss's Die Fledermaus. It was after this performance, people began to take notice of her marvelous talent.
The Highpoint of Beverly Sills' Career:
At the apex of Ms. Sills operatic career, she recorded 18 full-length operas and starred in 8 televised performances on PBS, graced the covers of Time Magazine and Newsweek, and performed on some of the worlds greatest opera stages. Beverly Sills made her official debut on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in 1975, though 9 years before, she performed with the company in "Opera in the Parks." Ms. Sills enjoyed great fame while singing at both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera regularly.
Post Retirement:
Shortly after Sills retired in 1980, she became the general director of the New York City Opera. Under Sills reigns, the once financially unstable company became a rock-solid. In 1988, Sills retired as General Director, but became president of the board of the New York City opera the following year. In 1994, she became Chairman of Lincoln Center, and in 2002 she became chairman of the Metropolitan Opera. Three years later, she retired.
Sills' Awards and Achievements:
Here are just a handful of awards earned by Beverly Sills throughout here operatic career.
- Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist in the recording of "Herbert: Music of Victor Herbert" (1976)
- Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in the recording of Lehar's "The Merry Widow" (1978)
- Recording Industry Association of America Culture Award (1979)
- Pearl S. Buck Woman's Award (1979)
- Gold Baton Award (1980)
- Appointed to the President's Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties
- The Medal of Freedom from President Jimmy Carter (1980)
- Kennedy Center Honoree (1985)
- Induction into the Working Woman Magazine's Hall of Fame (1987)
- Induction into National Women's Hall of Fame (1989)
- Awarded National Medal of Arts by President Bush (1990)
- Order of Arts and Letter medal by the French Government (2000)
