Opera star Leontyne Price was born in 1927. As a young girl, she sang in the church choir. Price enrolled in the music education major at Wilberforce University. As a member of the glee club, she had many opportunities for her voice to shine. She was encouraged to study vocal performance.
After graduating from Wilberforce in 1948, she continued her education at Juilliard in New York City. She had a full tuition scholarship and it was at Julliard that she began her opera career in earnest.
In 1952 she made her debut in Four Saints in Three Acts. In 1955, she became the first African American to sing a leading role on NBC Opera Theater. The production was Puccini’s Tosca.
In 1957, she made her debut with the San Francisco Opera. Four years later she became the prima donna the the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, she was the first African America to have this honor.
In 1955, she stared in a recital in Louisville, Kentucky sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta. She did the same in Los Angeles, California, in 1957.
Louisville Journal Courier, October 9, 1955
It was perhaps because of these opportunities for Delta Sigma Theta chapters to fund scholarships that Price was offered and accepted an Honorary Membership.
Price sang at both the inauguration and funeral of President Lyndon B. Johnson, for a Papal visit, and at the Camp David Accord. She was awarded more than a dozen and half Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement recognition. In 1964, Price was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition, she was the recipient of Kennedy Center Honors in 1980, the National Medal of Arts in 1985, and Opera Honors given by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2008.
She retired from the opera in 1985, but she continued to perform in recitals and orchestral concerts for another 12 years.
