Shirley Verrett

by David Shengold

opera

Shirley Verrett enjoyed one of the most glamorous operatic careers of the last 50 years. Following in the footsteps of Marian Anderson and on the heels of Leontyne Price's breakthroughs for African-American singers, the stunningly beautiful mezzo-turned-soprano faced some milestones of her own. She was the first black singer invited to Moscow's Bolshoi Opera (as Carmen). When a Texas orchestra's board refused Leopold Stokowski's request to hire her, he pointedly booked her here for his return to the Philadelphia Orchestra. Starring as Cassandra in Berlioz's The Trojans at the Met in 1973, she made international headlines by turning around and going on the same night in the even bigger role of Dido when a colleague fell sick. After worldwide triumphs (alongside the likes of Domingo, Pavarotti and Sills) Verrett has become an acclaimed teacher at the University of Michigan.

Verrett will conduct a two-hour master class involving some of AVA's resident vocal students. She also will read from and sign copies of her recently published memoir, I Never Walked Alone (Wiley). The title pays tribute at once to her faith, her mentors and to her last high-profile appearance, as Nettie Fowler in the 1994 Broadway revival of Carousel, opposite fellow Juilliard alumna Audra McDonald. By diva memoir standards, she's pretty forthright about her struggles (not only against racism, but with allergies and her parents' fundamentalism), her mistakes (not every role worked for her, and she regrets turning down the leading role in the film Diva) and her rivalry with fellow African-American diva Grace Bumbry.

Shirley Verrett, Sat., Dec. 13, 11 a.m. master class, 3:30 p.m. reading/book signing, both free, Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce St., 215-735-1685.