Leona Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Leona Mitchell is an African-American and Chickasaw
operatic soprano
and an Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Mitchell started singing at an early age in the choir of the Antioch Church of God in Christ in Enid, where her father, Reverend Dr. Hulon Mitchell was the minister along with her mother, Dr. Pearl Mitchell who was the pianist.
She received a BA in music from the Oklahoma City University
, went on to graduate studies at the Juilliard School
in New York
, and received honorary doctorates from Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma
. In 1983 she was inducted in the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame
.
Leona Mitchell currently lives in Houston, Texas
with her husband/manager Elmer Bush and son Elmer Bush IV.
's 1875 opera Carmen
with the San Francisco Opera
, debuting on December 15, 1975 in the same role at the Metropolitan Opera
. She received international attention as Bess in the first complete stereo recording of George Gershwin
's Porgy and Bess
with Lorin Maazel
and the Cleveland Orchestra
. She has contributed to several recordings, had television appearances, and served as honorary chair of Black Heritage Month of the Oklahoma legislature. In 1988 Leona Mitchell performed the role of Liù in Turandot
at the Metropolitan Opera
under the direction of James Levine
to rave reviews.
Leona Mitchell is a Grammy Award Winning Soprano who sang for 18 seasons as a leading spinto Soprano at The Metropolitan Opera of New York.
She has also sung for most of the world's greatest opera houses; Paris, Covent Garden, Vienna, Rome, Australia, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Chicago, Caracalla, and The Orange Festival amongst others. She has also appeared with some major symphony orchestras including those in London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and many others.
Miss Mitchell has sung for four US Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. She has also sung for many dignitaries: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Honorable Saundra Day O'Connor, and Bishop Tutu.
Mitchell has been awarded many honors in her home state of Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Hall of Fame, The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, The Women's Hall of Fame and The Jazz Hall of Fame. Her home town of Enid has a Leona Mitchell Boulevard in her honor, as well as the city's Leona Mitchell Southern Heights Heritage Center and Museum. Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma made her Oklahoma's State Cultural Ambassador.
Miss Mitchell has appeared in a production with each one of the Three Tenors: Ernani
with Luciano Pavarotti, Turandot
with Plácido Domingo and Carmen
with Jose Carreras. Each has been recorded on DVD.
Miss Mitchell has been a favorite of many television broadcasts: The Merv Griffin Show, Jerry Lewis Telethon, Good Morning America and CBS Nightwatch and was heard and seen on many PBS "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcasts plus the "Live from the Met" series.
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
operatic soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and an Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Mitchell started singing at an early age in the choir of the Antioch Church of God in Christ in Enid, where her father, Reverend Dr. Hulon Mitchell was the minister along with her mother, Dr. Pearl Mitchell who was the pianist.
She received a BA in music from the Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, went on to graduate studies at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and received honorary doctorates from Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. In 1983 she was inducted in the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame
Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame
Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma; who serve or have served as role models to other...
.
Leona Mitchell currently lives in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
with her husband/manager Elmer Bush and son Elmer Bush IV.
Singing career
In 1973, she debuted as Micaela in BizetGeorges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
's 1875 opera Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
with the San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
, debuting on December 15, 1975 in the same role at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. She received international attention as Bess in the first complete stereo recording of George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
with Lorin Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
and the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
. She has contributed to several recordings, had television appearances, and served as honorary chair of Black Heritage Month of the Oklahoma legislature. In 1988 Leona Mitchell performed the role of Liù in Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
under the direction of James Levine
James Levine
James Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and former music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of May 2011 he has...
to rave reviews.
Leona Mitchell is a Grammy Award Winning Soprano who sang for 18 seasons as a leading spinto Soprano at The Metropolitan Opera of New York.
She has also sung for most of the world's greatest opera houses; Paris, Covent Garden, Vienna, Rome, Australia, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Chicago, Caracalla, and The Orange Festival amongst others. She has also appeared with some major symphony orchestras including those in London, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and many others.
Miss Mitchell has sung for four US Presidents: Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. She has also sung for many dignitaries: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Honorable Saundra Day O'Connor, and Bishop Tutu.
Mitchell has been awarded many honors in her home state of Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Hall of Fame, The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, The Women's Hall of Fame and The Jazz Hall of Fame. Her home town of Enid has a Leona Mitchell Boulevard in her honor, as well as the city's Leona Mitchell Southern Heights Heritage Center and Museum. Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma made her Oklahoma's State Cultural Ambassador.
Miss Mitchell has appeared in a production with each one of the Three Tenors: Ernani
Ernani
Ernani is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo. The first production took place at La Fenice Theatre, Venice on 9 March 1844...
with Luciano Pavarotti, Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
with Plácido Domingo and Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
with Jose Carreras. Each has been recorded on DVD.
Miss Mitchell has been a favorite of many television broadcasts: The Merv Griffin Show, Jerry Lewis Telethon, Good Morning America and CBS Nightwatch and was heard and seen on many PBS "Live from Lincoln Center" broadcasts plus the "Live from the Met" series.
Sources
- Leona Mitchell Southern Heights Indian Museum website home page; information retrieved 20 September 2011.
- Pittman, Kitty, "Mitchell, Leona Pearl", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society.
- Shepherd, Kenneth R., Contemporary Black Biography: Leona Mitchell. The Gale Group, 2006.