Renée Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.[1] Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also speaks fluent German and French, along with limited Italian. Her signature roles include Countess Almaviva in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Violetta in Verdi's La traviata, the title role in Dvořák's Rusalka, the title role in Massenet's Manon, the title role in Massenet's Thaïs, the Marschallin in Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and the title role in Arabella.
A Richard Tucker Award winner, she regularly performs in opera houses and concert halls worldwide. In 2008 she was awarded the Swedish Polar Music Prize for her services in music.
Conductor Sir Georg Solti said of Fleming, "In my long life, I have met maybe two sopranos with this quality of singing; the other was Renata Tebaldi."[1]
A daughter of two music teachers, Fleming was born on Valentine's Day in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Rochester, New York.
She studied with Patricia Misslin at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. While at SUNY Potsdam, she took up singing with a jazz trio in an off-campus bar called Alger's. The jazz saxophonist Illinois Jacquet invited her on tour with his big band, but she chose instead to continue with graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York with voice teacher John Maloy.
She won a Fulbright Scholarship, which enabled her to work in Europe with Arleen Augér and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. This was followed by further studies at the Juilliard School, which she sang jazz gigs to pay for.[2] While at Juilliard she sang in roles with the Juilliard Opera Center, appearing as Musetta in Puccini's La bohème and the Wife in Menotti's Tamu-Tamu, among others.[3][4]
Fleming first began performing professionally in smaller concerts and with small opera companies while still a graduate student at Juilliard. She sang frequently in the Musica Viva concert series sponsored by the New York Unitarian Church of All Souls during the 1980s.[5] In 1984 she sang nine songs by Hugo Wolf in the world premiere of Eliot Feld's ballet Adieu, which she again performed in 1987 and 1989 at the Joyce Theater.[6] In 1986 she sang her first major operatic role, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, at the Salzburg Landestheater. Two years later she portrayed Thalie, Clarine and La Folie in Jean-Philippe Rameau's Platée with the Piccolo Teatro Dell Opera.[7]
Fleming's first major break came in 1988 when she won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions at age 29. That same year she sang the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro in her debut with Houston Grand Opera. She reprised the role the following year in her debut at the Spoleto Festival.[8] Also in 1989, Fleming made her debut with the New York City Opera as Mimi in La Bohème and her debut with The Royal Opera, London, as Dirce in Cherubini's Médée. She also was awarded a Richard Tucker Career Grant and won the George London Competition.[9][10]
In 1990 she was once again honored by the Richard Tucker Music Foundation but this time with the highly coveted Richard Tucker Award.[11] That same year she made her debut with Seattle Opera in her first portrayal of the title role in Rusalka, a role that she has since recorded and reprised at many of the world's great opera houses. She also sang for the 50th anniversary of the American Ballet Theatre in their production of Eliot Feld's Les Noces and returned to the New York City Opera to sing both the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro and Micaela in Bizet's Carmen. In addition, she sang the title role in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with the Opera Orchestra of New York.[12][13]
In 1991, Fleming made her Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera debut portraying Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. Fleming was originally not scheduled to make her Met debut until the next season, but ended up making it earlier than expected by stepping in to replace Felicity Lott who had become ill.[14] She returned to the Met later that year to sing Rosina in the world premiere of John Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles. That same year she made her Carnegie Hall debut performing music by Ravel with the New York City Opera Orchestra, sang Rusalka with Houston Grand Opera, and made her debut at the Tanglewood Music Festival as Ilia in Mozart's Idomeneo with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.[15][16]
In 1992, Fleming made her debut with Grand Théâtre de Genève as Fiordiligi in Mozart's Così fan tutte.[17] She also sang the role of Anna in Boieldieu's La dame blanche at Carnegie Hall with the Opera Orchestra of New York and the role of Fortuna in Mozart's Il sogno di Scipione at Alice Tully Hall, as part of Lincoln Center's Festival of Mozart Operas in Concert.[18][19]
In 1993, Fleming sang the role of Alaide in Bellini's La straniera with the Opera Orchestra of New York, made her debut at the Rossini Opera Festival in the title role of Rossini's Armida, and her debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the title role of Carlisle Floyd's Susannah.[20] She also gave her New York City solo recital debut at Alice Tully Hall to great acclaim.[21] She also sang her first Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera and performed Berg's Three Excerpts from Wozzeck and Lulu Suite with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and James Levine.[22][23] She also sang the world premiere of Joan Tower's Fanfare with Pinchas Zukerman and the Aspen Chamber Symphony[24] and the world premiere of John Kander's Letter From Sullivan Ballou at the Richard Tucker Awards ceremony.[25]
In 1994, Fleming sang her first Desdemona in Verdi's Otello and her first Ellen Orford in Britten's Peter Grimes with the Metropolitan Opera.[26] She also made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro.[27] She also performed the role of Madame de Tourvel in the world premiere of Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons and sang the role of Salome in Massenet's Hérodiade with the San Francisco Opera.[28]
In 1995 Fleming portrayed the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier with Houston Grand Opera, sang Hérodiade with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, and sang Rusalka with the San Francisco Opera.[29] She also sang Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Solti at Royal Festival Hall and gave a lauded recital at the Morgan Library.[30] She further signed an exclusive recording contract with the London/Decca label, making her the first American singer in 31 years to do so (Marilyn Horne was the last).[31]
In 1996, Fleming sang the title role in Rossini's Armida and the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the Met and performed the soprano solos in the Verdi Requiem with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.[32] She also sang her first Marguerite in Gounod's Faust with Chicago Lyric Opera and sang the role of Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Paris Opera at the reopening of the Palais Garnier with Sir Georg Solti. She was also chosen by Solti to be the first recipient of the Solti Prize, to be given to an outstanding younger singer. The award is given by the Académie du disque lyrique in a ceremony equivalent to the Grammy Awards.[33] Fleming also made debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Eva in Wagner's Meistersinger.[34] Her other performances that year included recitals at the Edinburgh International Festival and at Alice Tully Hall.[35]
In 1997, Fleming portrayed the Marschallin in Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and her first Manon at the Opéra Bastille, receiving glowing reviews. She reprised the role at the Metropolitan Opera along with singing Marguerite in Faust and Rusalka.[36] She also performed in concert twice with the New York Philharmonic, first under the baton of Zubin Mehta performing a selection of opera arias, and second singing Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate and three songs of Richard Strauss with Kurt Masur. She also performed at the Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and performed Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Orchestra of St. Luke's under André Previn. She gave several recitals as well at such notable places as the Salzburg Festival.[37]
In 1998, Fleming sang the title role in Richard Strauss' Arabella with Houston Grand Opera and the Countess with Lyric Opera of Chicago. She sang the title role in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah and Countess Almaviva in a landmark production of Le nozze di Figaro at the Met; the Mozart production also starred Cecilia Bartoli, Susanne Mentzer, Dwayne Croft, Danielle de Niese, and Bryn Terfel and was broadcast on PBS' Great Performances.[38] She made her Carnegie Hall recital debut. She sang Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs with Claudio Abbado and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra at the Salzburg Festival.[39] She originated the roles of Blanche DuBois in the world première André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire with the San Francisco Opera.[40] Fleming also performed Strauss' Four Last Songs with the Berlin Philharmonic. In what Fleming has described as "the worst night of her operatic life" she was roundly booed on the opening night of Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti in July, 1998 at La Scala.
In 1999, Fleming appeared at the Bavarian State Opera as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier. She returned to Carnegie Hall to great success with a concert of German lieder. She also performed in recital with André Previn and made her debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival.[41] She also won a Grammy Award for her CD The Beautiful Voice. She also performed the title role in Handel's Alcina with Les Arts Florissants and conductor William Christie and with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.[42] She also sang the title role in Charpentier's Louise with San Francisco Opera and Théâtre du Capitole.[43] Fleming closed out the year by performing for President Bill Clinton at the White House for a Christmas celebration.[44]
In 2000, Fleming appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and at Covent Garden as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and sang the title role in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with the Opera Orchestra of New York.[45] She also appeared as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival and the Met. She performed 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 Haydn's Creation under James Levine.[46]
In 2001, Fleming sang Desdemona in Otello with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Manon with the Paris Opera, the Marschallin with both the San Francisco Opera and the Met, and Arabella at both the Bavarian State Opera and the Met. She also sang Verdi's Requiem twice, once with the London Symphony Orchestra and once with the New York Philharmonic. Fleming also sang at World Trade Center site shortly after the September 11 attacks.[2]
In 2002, Fleming provided the vocals for Howard Shore's soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King soundtrack. Her singing can be found in the songs "The End of All Things", "Twilight and Shadow" and "The Return of the King" (Original Soundtrack) and "The Grace Of Undómiel", "Mount Doom", "The Eagles" and "The Fellowship Reunited" (The Complete Recordings). She also sang in several concerts in the United Kingdom with Bryn Terfel and gave the most extensive recital tour of her career, singing in dozens of recitals with accompianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. In addition, she portrayed the role of Rusalka with Opéra Bastille and Imogene in Il pirata with Théâtre du Châtelet.
In 2003, Fleming sang Imogene in at the Met, the title role in Massenet's Thaïs with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Rusalka at Covent Garden, and Violetta in La traviata with both Houston Grand Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. She also reprised the role of Blanche in Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire at the Barbican Centre in London.
In 2004, Fleming portrayed the title role in Handel's Rodelinda, and reprised the roles of Rusalka and Violetta at the Met. She also sang her first Gräfin (Countess) in Capriccio at the Palais Garnier and performed in concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra among others. She also gave recitals in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and the United States and performed in several concerts with Elton John at Radio City Music Hall.
In 2005, Fleming sang the title role in Massenet's Manon at the Met, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello at Covent Garden, and Thaïs in Vienna. She also performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir among several other ensembles.
In 2006, Fleming performed a solo concert at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Sir Andrew Davis, sang Violetta in Verdi's La traviata with Los Angeles Opera, and returned to the Met to sing Manon and Rodelinda. She also sang Violetta again in the Metropolitan Opera's touring production to Japan and gave several recitals and concerts throughout the United States, Italy, Russia, and Sweden. She also sang in the Vienna Philharmonic's concert celebrating Mozart's 250th Birthday which was broadcast live internationally.[47]
In 2007, Fleming sang Violetta with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera, Arabella with Zurich Opera, and Thaïs at the Théâtre du Châtelet, The Royal Opera, London, Vienna State Opera, and the Liceu, Barcelona. She also performed with over a dozen orchestras including the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra,the National Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and she has appeared as a Pennington Great Performers series artist with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and performed at numerous music festivals including the Salzburg Festival and the Lincoln Center Festival. She also gave recitals throughout Southeast Asia, Germany, and Switzerland.
In 2008, Fleming sang Violetta and Desdemona at the Metropolitan Opera, the Gräfin in Capriccio at the Vienna State Opera, Tatyana at the Tanglewood Music Festival, and Lucrezia Borgia[48] at the Washington National Opera.
In 2009, Fleming created the complete version of Le temps l'horloge, the latest work of famous French composer Henri Dutilleux. She sang Violetta at Covent Garden and Thaïs and Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera, the Marschallin at the Baden-Baden Festival, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Metropolitan Opera. She sang a variety of short pieces at Napa Valley's Festival del Sole in California.
During the 2009/2010 Metropolitan Opera season Fleming sang the Marschallin and in Mary Zimmerman's new production, the first at the Met, of Rossini's Armida, a role and production she will return to during the Met's 2010/2011 Season along with the Gräfin in Richard Strauss's Capriccio.
In an April 15, 2010, Wall Street Journal article, Fleming talked about her view of the battle between opera traditionalists and those who want to reinterpret the standards, siding – with some reservations – with the latter. "I'm not a reactionary. I've loved some of [these productions] when they've been well thought out", she said. "I have no problem with edgy, as long as it's not vulgar or disrespectful of the piece." Still, she said her "classic" image meant that she was unlikely to be asked to perform in such productions.[49] In the same Wall Street Journal interview, Fleming explained her increasing preference for performing in concerts, rather than opera productions, and said, having learned more than 50 operas, that she is unlikely to learn many more.
Fleming appeared on Good Morning America on June 8, 2010, performing a cover of Muse's "Endlessly" from their album Absolution.
At the Last Night of the BBC Proms in 2010, Fleming performed songs by Richard Strauss, Dvořák and Smetana.
On November 11, 2010, the Charlie Haden Quartet West released the jazz CD Sophisticated Ladies in which Fleming was a guest vocalist on the song "A Love Like This" by Ned Washington and Victor Young.
On December 9, 2010, the Board of Directors of Lyric Opera of Chicago announced that Fleming has been named Creative Consultant, a first in the company’s history.[50]
Fleming married actor Rick Ross in 1989, and they have two daughters together; Amelia, born in 1992, and Sage, born in 1995. The couple divorced in 2000, and Fleming has raised their children as a single mother.[1][51] On September 3, 2011 Fleming married corporate lawyer Tim Jessell, whom she met on a blind date set up by author Ann Patchett.[52]
Fleming has released a number of music recordings on the Decca label. In 2000 she was a guest artist alongside the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and the violinist Gil Shaham on the album Two Worlds by Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour. She recorded a jazz album in 2005 entitled Haunted Heart. She appears on the soundtrack of the 2003 film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in which she sings in the imagined language Sindarin. Renée Fleming recorded the duet "O soave fanciulla" with Michael Bolton. Her album Dark Hope, released in June 2010, features covers of songs by Leonard Cohen, Band of Horses, Jefferson Airplane and others.[53]
Fleming has a notable sense of humor. She appeared on the children's show Sesame Street singing a lively rendition of "Caro nome" from Rigoletto, replacing the traditional Italian text with lyrics intended to aid children learning to count.
She has performed several times on Garrison Keillor's popular public radio program A Prairie Home Companion.
Fleming appeared as a "Special Guest Vocalist" on Joe Jackson's 1994 album Night Music on the song "Lullaby."
On November 18, 2005, Fleming appeared as guest on the BBC Radio 4 radio programme Desert Island Discs; her favourite was Joni Mitchell's 1971 song "River".[54]
Fleming performed "I'll Be Home For Christmas" on ABC's The View on December 18, 2008.
She performed on January 18, 2009, at We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, singing the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the combined choirs of the United States Naval Academy. She had performed the same song at Concert for America, which marked the one-year anniversary of 9/11.[55]
Year (debut) |
Role |
Composer |
Opera |
Location |
1978 |
Laurie Moss |
Aaron Copland |
The Tender Land |
Crane School of Music – SUNY Potsdam |
1979 |
Alison |
Gustav Holst |
The Wandering Scholar |
Crane School of Music – SUNY Potsdam |
1980 |
Elsie Maynard |
Gilbert and Sullivan |
The Yeomen of the Guard |
Crane School of Music – SUNY Potsdam |
1981 |
Zerlina |
Mozart |
Don Giovanni |
Eastman School of Music |
1982 |
Anne Sexton |
Conrad Susa |
Transformations |
Aspen Music Festival and School |
1983 |
Countess Almaviva |
Mozart |
The Marriage of Figaro |
Aspen Music Festival and School |
1983 |
Musetta |
Puccini |
La bohème |
Juilliard Opera Center |
1986 |
Konstanze |
Mozart |
Die Entführung aus dem Serail |
Salzburg Landestheater |
1986 |
Frasquita |
Bizet |
Carmen |
Virginia Opera |
1986 |
Belle Fezziwig & Laundress,
Martha Cratchit, Rosie |
Thea Musgrave |
A Christman Carol |
Virginia Opera |
1987 |
the Wife |
Menotti |
Tamu-Tamu |
Juilliard Opera Center |
1988 |
Thalie, Clarine, La Folie |
Jean-Philippe Rameau |
Platée |
Piccolo Teatro Dell Opera |
1988 |
Pamina |
Mozart |
The Magic Flute |
Virginia Opera |
1989 |
Mimì |
Puccini |
La bohème |
New York City Opera |
1989 |
Dircé |
Cherubini |
Médée |
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
1989 |
Imogene |
Bellini |
Il pirata |
Opera Orchestra of New York |
1990 |
Rusalka |
Dvořák |
Rusalka |
Seattle Opera |
1990 |
Micaëla |
Bizet |
Carmen |
New York City Opera |
1990 |
Lucrezia Borgia |
Donizetti |
Lucrezia Borgia |
Opera Orchestra of New York |
1990 |
Maria Padilla |
Donizetti |
Maria Padilla |
Opera Omaha |
1991 |
Rosina |
Corigliano |
The Ghosts of Versailles |
Metropolitan Opera |
1991 |
Ilia |
Mozart |
Idomeneo |
Tanglewood Music Festival |
1991 |
Amina |
Bellini |
La sonnambula |
Carnegie Hall |
1991 |
Thaïs |
Massenet |
Thaïs |
Washington Concert Opera |
1991 |
Sandrina |
Mozart |
La finta giardiniera |
Paris, Salle Pleyel |
1992 |
La Contessa di Folleville |
Rossini |
Il viaggio a Reims |
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden |
1992 |
Fiordiligi |
Mozart |
Così fan tutte |
Grand Théâtre de Genève |
1992 |
Anna |
Boieldieu |
La dame blanche |
Carnegie Hall |
1992 |
Fortuna |
Mozart |
Il sogno di Scipione |
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center |
1992 |
Tatyana |
Tchaikovsky |
Eugene Onegin |
Dallas Opera |
1993 |
Armida |
Rossini |
Armida |
Pesaro, Rossini Festival |
1993 |
Donna Elvira |
Mozart |
Don Giovanni |
La Scala |
1993 |
Alaide |
Bellini |
La straniera |
Carnegie Hall |
1993 |
Susannah |
Floyd |
Susannah |
Lyric Opera of Chicago |
1993 |
Lulu |
Alban Berg |
Symphonic Pieces from Lulu |
Metropolitan Concert/Gala at Ann Arbor, Michigan |
1993 |
Jenůfa |
Leoš Janáček |
Jenůfa |
Dallas Opera |
1994 |
Desdemona |
Verdi |
Otello |
Metropolitan Opera |
1994 |
Ellen Orford |
Britten |
Peter Grimes |
Metropolitan Opera |
1994 |
Madame de Tourvel |
Conrad Susa |
The Dangerous Liaisons |
San Francisco Opera |
1994 |
Salome |
Massenet |
Hérodiade |
San Francisco Opera |
1994 |
Rosmonda Clifford |
Donizetti |
Rosmonda d'Inghilterra |
London |
1995 |
Marschallin |
R. Strauss |
Der Rosenkavalier |
Houston Grand Opera |
1995 |
Amelia |
Verdi |
Simone Boccanegra |
Royal Opera at Covent Garden |
1996 |
Marguerite |
Gounod |
Faust |
Lyric Opera of Chicago |
1996 |
Donna Anna |
Mozart |
Don Giovanni |
Opéra national de Paris |
1996 |
Eva |
Wagner |
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg |
Bayreuth Festival |
1997 |
Manon |
Massenet |
Manon |
Opéra Bastille |
1998 |
Arabella |
R. Strauss |
Arabella |
Houston Grand Opera |
1998 |
Blanche DuBois |
André Previn |
A Streetcar Named Desire |
San Francisco Opera |
1998 |
Gabriel / Eva |
Joseph Haydn |
Die Schöpfung |
Tanglewood Music Festival |
1999 |
Alcina |
Handel |
Alcina |
Opéra national de Paris |
1999 |
Louise |
Charpentier |
Louise |
San Francisco Opera |
2003 |
Violetta |
Verdi |
La traviata |
Houston Grand Opera |
2004 |
Rodelinda |
Handel |
Rodelinda |
Metropolitan Opera |
2004 |
Gräfin |
R. Strauss |
Capriccio |
Palais Garnier |
2005 |
Daphne |
R. Strauss |
Daphne |
University of Michigan |
2010 |
Hanna Glawari |
Lehár |
The Merry Widow |
Semperoper |
2012 |
Ariadne |
R. Strauss |
Ariadne auf Naxos |
Baden-Baden |
- Donizetti: Rosmonda d'Inghilterra Opera Rara 1994
- Strauss Four Last Songs RCA 1996
- Visions of Love – Mozart Arias Decca 1996
- Schubert Lieder Decca 1997
- Signatures Opera arias By Mozart, Verdi, Britten, Strauss, w. Georg Solti, Decca 1997
- Elijah (Mendelssohn) Decca 1997
- Rusalka (1997)
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1997)
- The Beautiful Voice Decca 1998
- I Want Magic American Opera Arias, Decca 1998
- Star Crossed Lovers Duets with Plácido Domingo, Decca 1999
- Strauss Heroines Decca 1999
- Requiem (Verdi) with Andrea Bocelli, Olga Borodina and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, conducted by Valery Gergiev, Philips 2001
- Renée Fleming Decca 2001
- Night Songs Lieder by Debussy, Fauré, Marx, Strauss, Rachmaninov, Decca 2001
- Thaïs (2001)
- Manon (2001)
- Bel Canto Arias by Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Decca 2002
- Under the Stars Broadway Duets with Bryn Terfel, Decca 2003
- By Request Decca 2003
- Mozart: Così fan tutte Decca
- Handel: Alcina Erato
- Rossini: Armida Sony (live)
- Mozart: Don Giovanni Decca
- Massenet: Hérodiade Sont (live)
- Handel Arias Decca 2003/2004
- Requiem (Verdi) Philips 2004
- Haunted Heart Decca 2005
- Sacred Songs Decca 2005
- Homage – The Age of the Diva Decca 2006
- Strauss: Daphne Decca
- Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss Decca 2008
- Verismo – Arias of Puccini, Mascagni, Cilea, Giordano, Leoncavallo Decca 2009
- Dark Hope Decca Records 2010
- Poèmes – French songs, Decca 2012
- Fleming received the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for her album The Beautiful Voice.
- In 2000, Chef Daniel Boulud named a dessert, La Diva Renée, after her.[56]
- Ann Patchett used Fleming as the inspiration for a character in the 2001 novel Bel Canto.[57]
- Fleming received the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for her album Bel Canto.
- In 2003, Fleming was awarded Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music.
- Also in 2003, Fleming received an Honorary Doctorate from the Juilliard School, and she was the Speaker for the Commencement Ceremony.[58]
- In 2008, Fleming was awarded the Polar Music Prize "in recognition of her sublime unparalleled voice and unique stylistic versatility."[59]
- Fleming's 2009 album Verismo was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance.[60]
- In 2011, Fleming received an Honorary Doctorate from the Eastman School of Music.[61]
- Also in 2011, Fleming was the recipient of the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal.[62]
- In February, 2012, Fleming was awarded the Victoire d'Honneur prize by France's Victoires de la Musique Classique.[63]
- ^ a b c Tommasini, Anthony: "For a Wary Soprano, Slow and Steady Wins the Race", The New York Times, September 14, 1997
- ^ a b Brady, James: " In Step With: Renée Fleming" Parade Magazine, November 7, 2004
- ^ The New York Times, 1983
- ^ The New York Times, April 26, 1987
- ^ The New York Times, February 19, 1994
- ^ The New York Times, April 16, 1984
- ^ The New York Times, October 15, 1988
- ^ The New York Times, May 30, 1989
- ^ The New York Times, April 27, 1989
- ^ The New York Times, August 18, 1989
- ^ The New York Times, May 2, 1990
- ^ The New York Times, May 9, 1990
- ^ The New York Times, August 2, 1990
- ^ The New York Times, March 21, 1991
- ^ The New York Times, February 18, 1991
- ^ The New York Times, July 16, 1991
- ^ The New York Times, January 5, 1992
- ^ The New York Times, February 1, 1992
- ^ The New York Times, August 20, 1992
- ^ The New York Times, February 10, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, March 31, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, April 13, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, May 8, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, May 16, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, December 16, 1993
- ^ The New York Times, April 16, 1994
- ^ The New York Times, June 3, 1994
- ^ The New York Times, September 13, 1994
- ^ The New York Times, February 16, 1995
- ^ The New York Times, November 2, 1995
- ^ The New York Times, March 14, 1996
- ^ The New York Times, January 10, 1996
- ^ The New York Times, March 12, 1996
- ^ The New York Times, September 14, 1997
- ^ The New York Times, June 1, 1996
- ^ The New York Times, March 24, 1997
- ^ The New York Times, January 2, 1997
- ^ The New York Times, March 1, 1998
- ^ "Spring–Summer '98; 'Happy Birthday' and Variations", p. 5, Vernon Kidd, The New York Times, March 15, 1998]
- ^ The New York Times, September 13, 1998
- ^ The New York Times, January 29, 1999
- ^ The New York Times, July 27, 1999
- ^ The New York Times, August 29, 1999
- ^ The New York Times, December 6, 1999
- ^ The New York Times February 6, 2000
- ^ The New York Times, May 21, 2000
- ^ The Epoch Times, September 2006
- ^ Coming Full Circle – The Washington Blade
- ^ "Renée Fleming: Aria On the Future" by Judith H. Dobrzynski, The Wall Street Journal, April 15, 2010
- ^ "Fleming Adds New Role, Helping Guide Opera Troupe" by Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times, December 9, 2010
- ^ Barron, James:"Public Lives" The New York Times, November 3, 1998
- ^ http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2011/09/social-and-personal-renee-fleming-gets-married.html
- ^ "Renée Fleming: Diva goes to the dark side" by Peter Conrad, The Guardian, March 28, 2010
- ^ Renée Fleming at Desert Island Discs
- ^ "You'll Never Walk Alone" on YouTube, sung by Renée Fleming
- ^ "Diva Dessert, Soprano Breakfast" by James Barron, The New York Times, December 22, 1999
- ^ "Ann Patchett and Reneé Fleming on Bel Canto, NPR
- ^ http://www.juilliard.edu/newsroom/pdfs/HonoraryDocs1987-2010.pdf
- ^ http://www.polarmusicprize.org/renee-fleming/
- ^ http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search?artist=Renee+Fleming&title=Verismo&year=2009&genre=5
- ^ http://www.ongo.com/preview_article.php?a=448108
- ^ http://www.fulbright.org/node/663
- ^ http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2012/02/29/03006-20120229ARTFIG00453-renee-fleming-la-melodie-du-bonheur-en-france.php
- Fleming, Renée. The Inner Voice: the Making of a Singer. Paperback ed. New York: Penguin Group, 2004. ISBN 978-0-14-303594-7
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Persondata |
Name |
Fleming, Renée |
Alternative names |
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Short description |
American opera soprano |
Date of birth |
February 14, 1959 |
Place of birth |
Indiana, Pennsylvania |
Date of death |
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