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Joyce Mathis

January 01, 1970

Joyce Mathis (1944[1] – before April 2009[2]) was an American soprano who was a concert artist, recitalist, and opera singer from the 1960s into the early 1990s. She is considered a part of the first generation of black classical singers to achieve success in the United States; breaking down racial barriers within the field of classical music.[3] She won several notable singing competitions, including the Marian Anderson Award in 1967 and the Young Concert Artists in 1968.[1] In 1970 she recorded the role of the High Priestess in Verdi's Aida alongside Leontyne Price and Plácido Domingo. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ned Rorem wrote his song cycle Women's Voices for her in 1975. In 1976 she created the role of Celestina in Roger Ames's opera Amistad at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She appeared frequently in performances with Opera Ebony and the Boys Choir of Harlem in addition to touring widely as a recitalist and concert soprano.

Joyce Mathis
Born1944 (1944)
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
Died2009 or earlier
Education
OccupationOperatic soprano
AwardsMarian Anderson Award
Young Concert Artists

Early life and career edit

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Ezra and Nellie Mathis, Joyce Mathis graduated from the Howard School of Academics and Technology in 1961.[4] After studying singing in her native city with J. Oscar Miller, she earned a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Central State University in 1965.[4] She then pursued graduate studies at the Juilliard School where she was a pupil of Florence Kimball, the teacher of Leontyne Price.[5][6] Price mentored Mathis in the early part of her career.[7]

In 1964 Mathis was a regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.[8] In 1967 she won the Marian Anderson Award.[9][1] That same year she was the soprano soloist in Beethoven's Egmont with the Cosmopolitan Young Peoples Symphony Orchestra under Chilean conductor Juan Pablo Izquierdo at Philharmonic Hall.[10] She also performed with the American Opera Society at Carnegie Hall in 1967 in the role of Clotilda in Bellini's Norma with Elena Souliotis in the title role and Nancy Tatum as Adalgisa;[11] and she created the role of Gismonda in Thomas Pasatieri's Padrevia at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.[12]

In 1968 Mathis won the Young Concert Artists competition which led to her New York recital debut at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in March 1969.[13] In 1968 she performed in concerts with the Symphony of the New World, the first racially integrated orchestra in the United States, in concerts of Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss and works by John Lewis and Arthur Cunningham.[14][15] In 1969 she performed in major concert venues throughout the United States as a part of the "American Youth Performs" concert tour sponsored by American Airlines.[16][17] That same year she performed the Hugo Weisgall's opera monodrama The Stronger in a concert organized by the League of Composers at the 92nd Street Y.[18]

Later life and career edit

In 1970 Mathis recorded the role of the High Priestess in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida with Leontyne Price in the title role, Luciano Pavarotti as Radamès, Grace Bumbry as Amneris, and the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf.[7] That same year she was the featured soloist in the inaugural concert of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra with conductor Leonard Slatkin, performing works by Mozart, Puccini, and Gershwin.[19] In November 1970, she was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of George Rochberg's Symphony No. 3 at Lincoln Center.[20]

In 1973 Mathis and William Warfield were the featured performers at the National Association of Negro Musicians convention in Atlanta with conductor Everett Lee.[21] Ned Rorem's song cycle Women's Voices was written for her; a work which Rorem described as the composition "closest to his heart".[22] She debuted the work at Alice Tully Hall on November 4, 1976.[23] In describing what it was like to hear Mathis perform this cycle, Rorem stated, "It is so to speak, an uncomfortable privilege—a pleasurable torture—to sit in the audience and hear a really good performer exexute one's intimate sounds, hitherto so private, now hopelessly so public."[24]

In 1976 Mathis created the role of Celestina in the world premiere of Roger Ames's opera Amistad at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[25] In 1977 she gave a concert of music at Fisk University in celebration of the inauguration of Walter J. Leonard as the ninth president of the institution.[26] In 1979 she gave a recital at Alice Tully Hall.[27]

In 1982 Mathis was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of George Walker's Cantata for Soprano, Tenor, Boys Choir, and Chamber Orchestra with tenor Walter Turnbull, the Boys Choir of Harlem, the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and conductor Warren George Wilson.[28] She performed that work again in 1986 at Chicago's Orchestra Hall with conductor Paul Freeman, the Orchestra of Illinois, and the Boys Choir of Harlem.[29] In February 1983 she performed scenes from Mark Fax's opera Til Victory Is Won with Opera Ebony and the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.[30] The following December she performed the role Siebel in Gounod's Faust with that company at Aaron Davis Hall of the City College of New York.[31] She performed with Opera Ebony again in 1987 as Irina in Weill's Lost in the Stars.[32]

In 1993 Mathis was the soprano soloist in Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras with the Boys Choir of Harlem at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.[33] In 1994 the Festival Ensemble of the American Academy of Arts and Letters dedicated a performance of Haydn's The Creation to her.[34]

The April 2009 obituary for her sister Margaret in The Chattanoogan mentions that Joyce Mathis preceded her in death.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Southern, Eileen (1982). "Mathis, Joyce". Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-21339-7.
  2. ^ a b "Obituaries: Otis, Margaret Ann "Granny"". The Chattanoogan. April 25, 2009.
  3. ^ "African American singers reap benefit from pioneer artists". The Chicago Defender. December 18, 1999. p. 29.
  4. ^ a b "Miss Joyce Mathis Auditioned for Metropolitan Opera Co". Atlanta Daily World. February 9, 1964. p. A3.
  5. ^ "Joyce Mathis and James DePreist". New York Public Radio. November 6, 1968.
  6. ^ Allen Hughes (November 26, 1977). "Florence Kimball Teacher, Dies At 87". The New York Times.
  7. ^ a b Alan Blyth (August 1971). "A classic meeting with Leontyne Price". Gramophone.
  8. ^ "Top Musical Artists Featured at Festival". Pittsburgh Courier. April 25, 1964. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Competition Winners". Central Office Service Bulletin. January 1968. p. 13.
  10. ^ A. H. (February 27, 1967). "Izquierdo Conducts Young Peoples Concert". The New York Times. p. 34.
  11. ^ Harold C. Schonberg (November 10, 1967). "Opera: Suliotis as Norma: 2 Old Normas Attend Carnegie Concert". The New York Times. p. 55.
  12. ^ Margaret Ross Griffel (2012). Operas in English: A Dictionary. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-8325-3.
  13. ^ Raymond Ericson (April 1, 1969). "Program of Song by Joyce Mathis". The New York Times.
  14. ^ "Symphony of New World Announces 3 Concerts". New York Amsterdam News. September 28, 1968. p. 21.
  15. ^ Perdita Duncan (November 23, 1968). "Music in Review: Symphony of the New World". New York Amsterdam News. p. 36.
  16. ^ "New Soprano Sensation to Appear Here". Los Angeles Sentinel. February 13, 1969. p. A7.
  17. ^ Peter Gorner (December 8, 1968). "Concerts and Recitals". Chicago Tribune. p. f11.
  18. ^ Donal Henahan (October 20, 1969). "Ensemble Offers Schoenberg Suite: 'Septet' and Weisgall Piece in League-ISCM Concert". The New York Times. p. 60.
  19. ^ "Leonard Slatkin Timeline". leonardslatkin.com.
  20. ^ Allen Hughes (November 26, 1970). "Juilliard Offers Rochberg's No. 3". The New York Times.
  21. ^ William Duncan Allen (August 29, 1973). "Music News of Interest". Oakland Post. p. 5.
  22. ^ Dan Tucker (March 30, 1996). "Talented performers make for a memorable 'Evening'". Chicago Tribune. p. D25.
  23. ^ Robert Sherman (November 6, 1976). "Recital: Joyce Mathis in Premiere of Rorem Work". The New York Times. p. 9. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  24. ^ John Gruen (May 30, 1976). "'Now I Can Die Official', Says Pulitzer-Winner Ned Rorem". The New York Times. p. 60.
  25. ^ Bob Arnebeck (December 20, 1976). "The Making of an Opera: The Making Of a Local Opera". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  26. ^ "Fisk: Celebrates inauguration of ninth prexy". Tri-State Defender. October 15, 1977. p. 2.
  27. ^ Peter G. Davis (September 24, 1979). "Recital: Joyce Mathis Heard In Song Program". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  28. ^ Bernard Holland (June 23, 1982). "Boys Choir of Harlem Presents Bach Cantatas". The New York Times.
  29. ^ Howard Reich (October 16, 1986). "Overnight Chicago: 'Symphony in Black' flaws can't hide memorable joys". Chicago Tribune. p. B9.
  30. ^ Bernard Holland (February 15, 1983). "Opera Ebony: Black History". The New York Times.
  31. ^ Edward Rothstein (December 1, 1983). "Opera: Faust". The New York Times.
  32. ^ Bernard Holland (November 15, 1987). "Music: Lost in the Stars at City College". The New York Times.
  33. ^ Stephen Holden (January 20, 1993). "Celebration of Black Culture". The New York Times.
  34. ^ "Festival Ensemble dedicates Haydn oratorio to Joyce Mathis". New York Amsterdam News. June 4, 1994. p. 25.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
joyce, mathis, 1944, before, april, 2009, american, soprano, concert, artist, recitalist, opera, singer, from, 1960s, into, early, 1990s, considered, part, first, generation, black, classical, singers, achieve, success, united, states, breaking, down, racial, . Joyce Mathis 1944 1 before April 2009 2 was an American soprano who was a concert artist recitalist and opera singer from the 1960s into the early 1990s She is considered a part of the first generation of black classical singers to achieve success in the United States breaking down racial barriers within the field of classical music 3 She won several notable singing competitions including the Marian Anderson Award in 1967 and the Young Concert Artists in 1968 1 In 1970 she recorded the role of the High Priestess in Verdi s Aida alongside Leontyne Price and Placido Domingo Pulitzer Prize winning composer Ned Rorem wrote his song cycle Women s Voices for her in 1975 In 1976 she created the role of Celestina in Roger Ames s opera Amistad at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts She appeared frequently in performances with Opera Ebony and the Boys Choir of Harlem in addition to touring widely as a recitalist and concert soprano Joyce MathisBorn1944 1944 Chattanooga Tennessee U S Died2009 or earlierEducationCentral State University Juilliard SchoolOccupationOperatic sopranoAwardsMarian Anderson AwardYoung Concert Artists Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Later life and career 3 References 4 External linksEarly life and career editBorn in Chattanooga Tennessee to Ezra and Nellie Mathis Joyce Mathis graduated from the Howard School of Academics and Technology in 1961 4 After studying singing in her native city with J Oscar Miller she earned a bachelor s degree in vocal performance from Central State University in 1965 4 She then pursued graduate studies at the Juilliard School where she was a pupil of Florence Kimball the teacher of Leontyne Price 5 6 Price mentored Mathis in the early part of her career 7 In 1964 Mathis was a regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 8 In 1967 she won the Marian Anderson Award 9 1 That same year she was the soprano soloist in Beethoven s Egmont with the Cosmopolitan Young Peoples Symphony Orchestra under Chilean conductor Juan Pablo Izquierdo at Philharmonic Hall 10 She also performed with the American Opera Society at Carnegie Hall in 1967 in the role of Clotilda in Bellini s Norma with Elena Souliotis in the title role and Nancy Tatum as Adalgisa 11 and she created the role of Gismonda in Thomas Pasatieri s Padrevia at the Brooklyn Academy of Music 12 In 1968 Mathis won the Young Concert Artists competition which led to her New York recital debut at the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in March 1969 13 In 1968 she performed in concerts with the Symphony of the New World the first racially integrated orchestra in the United States in concerts of Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss and works by John Lewis and Arthur Cunningham 14 15 In 1969 she performed in major concert venues throughout the United States as a part of the American Youth Performs concert tour sponsored by American Airlines 16 17 That same year she performed the Hugo Weisgall s opera monodrama The Stronger in a concert organized by the League of Composers at the 92nd Street Y 18 Later life and career editIn 1970 Mathis recorded the role of the High Priestess in Giuseppe Verdi s Aida with Leontyne Price in the title role Luciano Pavarotti as Radames Grace Bumbry as Amneris and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf 7 That same year she was the featured soloist in the inaugural concert of the St Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra with conductor Leonard Slatkin performing works by Mozart Puccini and Gershwin 19 In November 1970 she was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of George Rochberg s Symphony No 3 at Lincoln Center 20 In 1973 Mathis and William Warfield were the featured performers at the National Association of Negro Musicians convention in Atlanta with conductor Everett Lee 21 Ned Rorem s song cycle Women s Voices was written for her a work which Rorem described as the composition closest to his heart 22 She debuted the work at Alice Tully Hall on November 4 1976 23 In describing what it was like to hear Mathis perform this cycle Rorem stated It is so to speak an uncomfortable privilege a pleasurable torture to sit in the audience and hear a really good performer exexute one s intimate sounds hitherto so private now hopelessly so public 24 In 1976 Mathis created the role of Celestina in the world premiere of Roger Ames s opera Amistad at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 25 In 1977 she gave a concert of music at Fisk University in celebration of the inauguration of Walter J Leonard as the ninth president of the institution 26 In 1979 she gave a recital at Alice Tully Hall 27 In 1982 Mathis was the soprano soloist in the world premiere of George Walker s Cantata for Soprano Tenor Boys Choir and Chamber Orchestra with tenor Walter Turnbull the Boys Choir of Harlem the Orchestra of St Luke s and conductor Warren George Wilson 28 She performed that work again in 1986 at Chicago s Orchestra Hall with conductor Paul Freeman the Orchestra of Illinois and the Boys Choir of Harlem 29 In February 1983 she performed scenes from Mark Fax s opera Til Victory Is Won with Opera Ebony and the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall 30 The following December she performed the role Siebel in Gounod s Faust with that company at Aaron Davis Hall of the City College of New York 31 She performed with Opera Ebony again in 1987 as Irina in Weill s Lost in the Stars 32 In 1993 Mathis was the soprano soloist in Villa Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras with the Boys Choir of Harlem at the Richard Rodgers Theatre 33 In 1994 the Festival Ensemble of the American Academy of Arts and Letters dedicated a performance of Haydn s The Creation to her 34 The April 2009 obituary for her sister Margaret in The Chattanoogan mentions that Joyce Mathis preceded her in death 2 References edit a b c Southern Eileen 1982 Mathis Joyce Biographical Dictionary of Afro American and African Musicians Greenwood Press ISBN 978 0 313 21339 7 a b Obituaries Otis Margaret Ann Granny The Chattanoogan April 25 2009 African American singers reap benefit from pioneer artists The Chicago Defender December 18 1999 p 29 a b Miss Joyce Mathis Auditioned for Metropolitan Opera Co Atlanta Daily World February 9 1964 p A3 Joyce Mathis and James DePreist New York Public Radio November 6 1968 Allen Hughes November 26 1977 Florence Kimball Teacher Dies At 87 The New York Times a b Alan Blyth August 1971 A classic meeting with Leontyne Price Gramophone Top Musical Artists Featured at Festival Pittsburgh Courier April 25 1964 p 5 Competition Winners Central Office Service Bulletin January 1968 p 13 A H February 27 1967 Izquierdo Conducts Young Peoples Concert The New York Times p 34 Harold C Schonberg November 10 1967 Opera Suliotis as Norma 2 Old Normas Attend Carnegie Concert The New York Times p 55 Margaret Ross Griffel 2012 Operas in English A Dictionary Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 8325 3 Raymond Ericson April 1 1969 Program of Song by Joyce Mathis The New York Times Symphony of New World Announces 3 Concerts New York Amsterdam News September 28 1968 p 21 Perdita Duncan November 23 1968 Music in Review Symphony of the New World New York Amsterdam News p 36 New Soprano Sensation to Appear Here Los Angeles Sentinel February 13 1969 p A7 Peter Gorner December 8 1968 Concerts and Recitals Chicago Tribune p f11 Donal Henahan October 20 1969 Ensemble Offers Schoenberg Suite Septet and Weisgall Piece in League ISCM Concert The New York Times p 60 Leonard Slatkin Timeline leonardslatkin com Allen Hughes November 26 1970 Juilliard Offers Rochberg s No 3 The New York Times William Duncan Allen August 29 1973 Music News of Interest Oakland Post p 5 Dan Tucker March 30 1996 Talented performers make for a memorable Evening Chicago Tribune p D25 Robert Sherman November 6 1976 Recital Joyce Mathis in Premiere of Rorem Work The New York Times p 9 Retrieved April 22 2024 John Gruen May 30 1976 Now I Can Die Official Says Pulitzer Winner Ned Rorem The New York Times p 60 Bob Arnebeck December 20 1976 The Making of an Opera The Making Of a Local Opera The Washington Post p B1 Fisk Celebrates inauguration of ninth prexy Tri State Defender October 15 1977 p 2 Peter G Davis September 24 1979 Recital Joyce Mathis Heard In Song Program The New York Times Retrieved April 22 2024 Bernard Holland June 23 1982 Boys Choir of Harlem Presents Bach Cantatas The New York Times Howard Reich October 16 1986 Overnight Chicago Symphony in Black flaws can t hide memorable joys Chicago Tribune p B9 Bernard Holland February 15 1983 Opera Ebony Black History The New York Times Edward Rothstein December 1 1983 Opera Faust The New York Times Bernard Holland November 15 1987 Music Lost in the Stars at City College The New York Times Stephen Holden January 20 1993 Celebration of Black Culture The New York Times Festival Ensemble dedicates Haydn oratorio to Joyce Mathis New York Amsterdam News June 4 1994 p 25 External links editJoyce Mathis at AllMusic Joyce Mathis discography at Discogs 1969 live recording audio on YouTube Summertime Two photographs Young Concert Artists Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joyce Mathis amp oldid 1220192651, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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