Price, Leontyne

Price, Leontyne

(Mary Leontyne Price) (lā`əntēn), 1927–, American soprano, b. Laurel, Miss. She studied voice at Juilliard with Florence Page Kimball. Subsequently she appeared as Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess on Broadway (1952–54), repeating her performance in a highly successful international tour sponsored by the U.S. State Dept. She made her operatic debut on television in 1955, singing the title role in Tosca. In 1961 she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Five years later, in 1966, she created the role of Cleopatra in Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, which opened the Metropolitan's new building at Lincoln Center. Price's voice is noted for its extraordinary range and power. She is particularly noted for her performances of the title roles in Verdi's Aïda and Puccini's Madame Butterfly.

Price, (Mary Violet) Leontyne

(1927– ) soprano; born in Laurel, Miss. Price studied at Juilliard in New York before finding success on Broadway in Four Saints in Three Acts in 1952 and the female lead in Porgy and Bess the same year. In 1954 she presented a recital in New York's Town Hall, where she premiered Samuel Barber's Hermit Songs. She went on to an outstanding international career on both operatic and concert stages, especially admired for her Italian opera roles; her Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1961. For a time she was married to baritone William Warfield.