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Lists that rank the greatest works, composers, and musicians by instrument. 

Anna Netrebko

While modern entertainment is drastically different than it was in history, art forms like ballet, theatre, and the opera are still some of the most moving experiences in live entertainment. Opera is a powerful performance that typically combines incredible singing and drama. It is still a popular form of entertainment today, and there are many highly skilled performers singing opera for modern audiences.Who are the best living opera singers?&nbsp;This list features the most popular current opera singers in the world, ranked by the community. Some of the great, modern opera singers on this list are also among the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-opera-singers-of-all-time/bustermcdermott">best opera singers of all time</a>.The best living opera singers on this list range every voice type and include talented musicians like Roberto Alagna, Pl&aacute;cido Domingo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Angela Gheorghiu, Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and Cecilia Bartoli. Vote up the best living opera singers below or add an opera singer you think is great, who is still alive, but isn't already on the list.

Classical

Leontyne Price

While opera isn't the most popular for of modern entertainment, it is still a significant cultural staple in many countries, and can be an incredibly moving experience. An opera singer is skilled in the art of singing, acting, and most importantly, projecting their voice in a powerful way to a live audience, filling the entire theatre with music. <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-female-opera-singers/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Female opera singers</a> can hit the high notes with ease.Who are the best female opera singers of all time?&nbsp;The talented women featured on this list have made a significant impact in the world of opera, and are incredibly talented. Female opera singers are usually sopranos or altos. If you’re interested in opera and want to see these female singers in action, but can't afford to attend, there are many operas available on DVD as well.The greatest female opera singers on this list include Maria Callas, Renee Fleming, and Anna Gottlieb. Vote up the best of the best below or add the top female opera singers you think are the best if they aren't already on the list.

poll

Elisabeth Swarzkopf

When a soprano sings, it is so elegant, yet powerful, that it’s hard to imagine anything sounding more incredible. Soprano is the highest of the four standard singing voices. It is a rare ability to not only have the talent to become an opera singer, but to also have such a high singing range. Sopranos are highly sought after and are some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-singer-of-the-year?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most famous female singers</a> in history – and true divas in the world of opera. Who are the best sopranos of all time?&nbsp;The greatest sopranos of all time are featured on this list, and all had such unique voices that they have helped shape opera as we know it.This list has been ranked by the community and includes the best sopranos of all time such as&nbsp;Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Victoria De Los Angeles, Leontyne Price, Birgit Nilsson, Montserrat Caball&eacute;, Lucia Popp, and Margaret Price.Vote up the best sopranos of all time below, or add the opera singing soprano you think is the greatest if she isn't already on the list.

Nicolai Gedda

When a tenor sings, it sounds so crystal clear and powerful it’s hard to imagine anything sounding more profound. Tenor is the singing voice between baritone and alto, and is the highest voice of the ordinary adult male range. Since it is such a rare gift to not only have the ability to become an opera singer, but to also have such a high singing range, tenors are highly sought after and are some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-opera-singers-of-all-time/bustermcdermott">greatest opera singers in history</a>.Who are the best tenors of all time?&nbsp;This list features the greatest tenors of all time, and they have all forever shaped the world of opera. Many of them also ended up recording music other than just opera and some of them have bestselling records as well.The great and famous tenors on this list have been ranked by the community and include Pl&aacute;cido Domingo, Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti, Fritz Wunderlich, Jussi Bjorling, Lauritz Melchior, and Beniamino Gigli.Vote up the top operatic tenors you think are the best below or add a tenor who isn't already on the list.

What are the best opera songs of all time? With so many possibilities and choices, it's hard to come up with a definitive list, but that's exactly what's going on here. This list includes some of the most popular opera arias from <a href="/list/best-operas/bustermcdermott" target="_blank">the best operas</a> ever, complete with videos, wherever possible. Vote for the opera songs you love the most, vote down any you don't like and please, do add any choices that might be missing. You can also re-rank this list of the best opera songs any way you like. From classic opera to Italian operatic songs, this list has them all!&nbsp;If you're an opera aficionado, most if not all of these great opera songs will be instantly familiar to you. If you're sitting there thinking, &quot;I don't know the first thing about opera,&quot; you might be wrong. Many of the most famous opera arias are used in popular culture. Some are used as background music for commercials and certainly for movie trailers.One big example of an opera song used in pop culture is &quot;The Flower Duet,&quot; from the <a href="/list/french-operas/reference" target="_blank">French opera</a>&nbsp;Lakme. This song can be found in several commercials and movies, including ads for British Airways and the films The Hunger, The American President and Meet the Parents, among others. And <a href="/list/richard-wagner-operas/reference" target="_blank">Richard Wagner's</a> &quot;Ride of the Valkyries,&quot; from his famous opera Die Walk&uuml;re, can be heard in several major films, including Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now.See? Even if you think you don't know opera, you do, sort of. You will after perusing this list and watching some of the videos, too.No list of the best opera songs would be complete without songs from one of the most famous operas ever, George Bizet's Carmen. Of those songs, &quot;Habanera&quot; is probably the most well-known, but there are many others. If your favorite Carmen aria isn't listed, again, feel free to add it.A truly outstanding opera song is memorable, emotional and very personal. Not everyone likes the same things – that's part of what makes music so wonderful, after all. Everyone has differing opinions, so enjoy giving yours with your votes here.

Opera

Lucia di Lammermoor

List of the best operas of all time - a comprehensive greatest opera list that includes work that includes works from all over the world by Italian, French, German, Austrian, Russian, Czech, and American composers, and many more. This list features a variety of operatic genres and styles, including opera seria, opera buffa, opera comique, as well as bel canto and Singspiel styles of singing. Be sure to vote for the famous operas you believe are the greatest of all time, and vote down any you don't like. You can also re-rank this list in any order you want.What makes a great opera so great? A compelling storyline is certainly important, but it's the music that keeps us enraptured. Some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-opera-songs/bustermcdermott" target="_blank">best opera songs</a> of all time are included in these operas listed here, including &quot;Habanera&quot; from 'Carmen,' &quot;Nessun dorma&quot; from <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/giacomo-puccini-operas/reference" target="_blank">Giacomo Puccini's</a> 'Turandot' and &quot;Celeste Aida&quot; from <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/giuseppe-verdi-operas/reference" target="_blank">Guiseppe Verdi's</a> 'Aida.' The operas listed here are classics. Many have been enjoyed by opera lovers for centuries, in fact. Some are tragedies, and they'll <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/operas-that-will-bring-tears-to-even-the-driest-of-eyes/sarahmarie" target="_blank">bring tears to even the driest of eyes</a> (Puccini's 'La boheme' comes to mind, as does his 'Madame Butterfly' and Verdi's 'La traviata'). Wipe those tears away, and start voting for the best operas, right here and right now.

Composers

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

The best classical composers of all time ranked from best to worst. These classical composers are some of the best musicians in history, and are responsible for some of the greatest works of classical music the world has ever heard. Though these were men of a classical era of music, their concertos, sonatas, and movements are present in everything from rock concerts to blockbuster movies and are some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/classical-music-most-popular-top-100/kickassclassical">most popular classical songs</a>.These top classical composers have written some of the most relaxing music, the most inspirational music, and the most beautiful music in the world. They are the greatest composers who ever have lived. Who are the greatest classical composers? What are the characteristics of the best classical composers? Who wrote the best classical music? This list of the top classical composers aims to answer these questions and others that have to do with determining who the best composers of classical music were and are. If your favorite classical composer isn't on the list of the best If classical music is your thing (and you're checking out a list of the best classical composers, so it probably is), check out the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/hottest-male-classical-musicians/barbara-gaston">hottest men in classical music</a> and the hottest <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hottest-female-classical-musicians/dude?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">women in classical music</a>.

Martha Argerich

Classical music forever shaped the future of music. Most of contemporary music has influences from classical music in some way. Becoming a professional pianist is much more than just hitting the right note. It involves comprehensive music theory, having an ear for rhythm, and the passion for music that simply can't be taught. &nbsp; The piano is one of the most powerful instruments in the music world. Classical composers like Bach and Beethoven used the piano to build the parts for all of the other instruments in their symphonies and other works. Who are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-pianists-of-all-time/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest classical pianists of all time</a>? &nbsp; This list features the all time greatest classical pianists, ranked by the community's votes and including Aaron Copland, Jacques Abram, Johann Sebastian Bach, Lang Lang, and George Frideric Handel. Vote up the best classical pianists below or add one you think is the greatest who isn't already on the list.

Anton Rubinstein

Is there any sound more beautiful than a piano composition? Almost every piece from composers in early classical music featured this powerful instrument to strike the perfect chords. The piano is extremely versatile, and unlike the guitar, cello, or violin, the strings on the piano are located inside and played with the keys. Many musicians have some knowledge of the piano, even if it isn't their primary instrument. But who are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-pianists-of-all-time/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest pianists of all time</a>? Classical and Baroque periods of music history definitely increased the popularity of the piano and almost every genre of music in today’s culture also uses it! It’s no wonder that mastering the art of playing the piano is such a desirable goal. It is also an instrument that once learned, makes it easier to learn other instruments and is popular among young music students. This list features the all time greatest piano players, includin, Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Vote up the best pianists below, and see where the musicians you think are the greatest of all time rank!

Krystian Zimerman

The piano is one of the most popular and most diverse musical instruments in the world. The instrument has permeated through dozens of genres of music, lending itself to help create some of the most moving and emotional pieces of music in history. The people on this list are masters of the piano and are considered giants in the musical world.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you recognize these musicians or not, they've all carved a place out for themselves in the classical music world and have become influential and prominent figures in the industry. If you love geeking out on music, we definitely recommend finding some of their music.&nbsp;This list is votable and rerankable, so take a look through and vote up your favorite <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/famous-classical-pianists/stevie-wonder-on-a-keytar">famous classical pianists</a> in the world. If you don't see someone on here who should be, feel free to add them, but this list is for living musicians only.

A list of absolute best symphonies of all time, ranked as the best by music lovers and the Ranker community. Featuring some of the best pieces of classical music ever written, this list hass the best symphonies of all time, with video of great performances of each symphony. What are the absolute best symphonies of all time?This list features the best symphonies from history’s <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/my-favorite-classical-composers-of-all-time">greatest classical composers</a>, such as Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Mozart, and Sibelius. Musicians such as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-violinists-of-all-time/ranker-music"></a><a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-classical-violinists-of-all-time/ranker-music">great violinists</a> and the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-classical-pianists-of-all-time/ranker-music">best classical pianists</a> have performed these symphonies, including&nbsp;Beethoven's 9th (Choral) Symphony, Dvorak's 9th (New World) Symphony, Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony, Mozarts 40th (Great) Symphony, and Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony. Vote up the best symphonies in music history below, or add any famous or popular symphony you think is great if it isn't already on the list.

Eliot Fisk

Classical music is just that. Classic. It has been around for centuries and gone through many different periods. Classical music set the state for all different kinds of modern music and remains popular in its own right to this day. The guitar is also an incredibly popular instrument and mastering it for classical music can be tricky. The musicians on this list have done it, but who are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-classical-guitarists-in-the-world/ranker-music?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest classical guitarists</a> of all time?&nbsp;Becoming a classical guitarist is not an easy task to accomplish. Learning how to master the craft of playing the guitar is hard enough, but a classical guitarist has to take his or her skills to the next level. While the typical guitar uses steel based strings, a classical guitar uses nylon strings which allow the musician to have a softer sound. This list features the all time greatest classical guitarists, ranked by the community's votes and including, Steve Hackett, Andr&eacute;s Segovia, Jim Ferguson, and Julian Bream. Vote up the greatest classical guitarists in history below or add someone who is truly great but isn't already on the list.

Robert Alexander Schumann

The Romantic Era was a cultural and artistic revival that started in the early 1800s and lasted until the early 20th century (right before WWl). There was a fascination with the past, particularly the Middle Ages and legends of medieval chivalry. This movement was extremely evident in not only literature and painting but also music, with more of an emphasis on originality then tradition and pieces with more of a fantasy theme. This era also produced the great majority of well known and great composers. This list includes the top famous composers of the Romantic period. Upvote your favorite musicians based on their bodies of work from this time.

Dale Clevenger

Horn instruments are some of the most popular and most diverse musical instruments in the world. They've permeated through dozens of genres of music, lending themselves to help create some of the most moving and emotional pieces of music in history. The people on this list are masters of brass instruments and are considered giants in the musical world.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you recognize these musicians or not, they've all carved a place out for themselves in the music world and have become influential and prominent figures in the industry. If you love geeking out on music, we definitely recommend finding some of their music.&nbsp;This list is votable and rerankable, so take a look through and vote up your <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-horn-players-of-all-time/ranker-music">favorite horn players</a>&nbsp;in the world. If you don't see someone on here who should be, feel free to add them, but this list is for living musicians only.

Janine Jansen

If you’re a music enthusiast you’re probably a huge fan of classical music and you most likely realize the affect that classical music has had on all genres of music, including today’s modern styles. Famous composers and musicians shaped the way we play music, the way we enjoy it and the way music is performed to this day. The violin is one of the most important and well known instruments in classical music. Who are the greatest violinists of all time? &nbsp; It’s truly remarkable to think about how a composer would be able to beautifully and masterfully bring a cello, violin, piano, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, and tuba together to produce a sound that could fill an entire room with music! Violin has and will continue to be a key instrument within a symphony; played by itself it can bring tears to the eyes! &nbsp; This list features the absolute greatest violinists in history, ranked by music lovers from best to worst. Vote up the greatest violinists below to see where the musicians you think are the greatest when it comes to violin rank!

The trumpet is one of the most popular and diverse musical instruments in the world. It's permeated through dozens of genres of music, lending itself to help create some of the most moving and emotional pieces of music in history. The people on this list are masters of brass instruments and are considered giants in the musical world.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you recognize these musicians or not, they've all carved a place out for themselves in the music world and have become influential and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/contemporary-classical-music-bands-and-musicians/reference">prominent figures in the industry</a>. If you love geeking out on music, we definitely recommend finding some of their music.&nbsp;This list is votable and rerankable, so take a look through and vote up your favorite trumpeters.&nbsp;If you don't see someone on here who should be, feel free to add them, but this list is for living musicians only.

Mstislav Rostropovich

The cello is one of the most classical and most beautiful musical instruments in the world. The instrument has permeated through dozens of genres of music, lending itself to help create some of the most moving and emotional pieces of music in history. The people on this list are masters of the cello and are considered giants in the classical world.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether you recognize these musicians or not, these <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-cellists/reference">famous cellists</a> have all carved a place out for themselves in the music business and have become influential and prominent figures in the industry. If you love geeking out on music, we definitely recommend finding some of their music.&nbsp;This list is votable and rerankable, so take a look through and vote up your favorite cellist in the world. If you don't see someone on here who should be, feel free to add them, but this list is for living musicians only.

Alexander Dreyschock

These are the greatest piano composers, ranked from best to worst by Classical music fans. When it comes to the best piano composers, their backgrounds and upbringing is as varied as their music. That's the special thing about music more than any other art form. Where you come from plays such an important role in the art you create, and that's what makes lists like this so interesting. Putting together great talents from all over the world, from all different eras. Some of the more famous piano composers on this list gained popularity during the Renaissance while other good piano composers wrote music during the Romantic period and beyond. A few of the people on here even wrote jazz and ragtime music that is still popular today.So, Who is on this list? Perhaps the most iconic piano composer is Ludwig van Beethoven. His ninth symphony contains some of the most recognizable melodies and has been featured in such films as “A Clockwork Orange” and “Immortal Beloved.” Johann Sebastian Bach is another one of the most famous piano composers of all time.More recently, Duke Ellington treated music fans to such hits as “Satin Doll” and “Don't Get Around Much Anymore.” Other musicians who are featured on this top piano composers list include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Frederic Chopin.Who are the best piano composers? Give your favorites a thumbs up to vote them up to the top of this list and share some of your favorite pieces of music in the comments section.

The best modern composers come from all around the world, from every walk of life. This is a list of these wonderful musicians, true icons of the Classical music world, ranked from best to worst by music lovers everywhere. From famous modern composers that have written some of the most iconic soundtracks to some of the greatest movies of all time, to lesser know classical musicians that have made a career in symphony orchestras all over the globe, this list should have something for everyone.What names will you find on this best modern composers list? Danny Elfman has to be mentioned among the most talented composers of all time. First rising to popularity in the band Oingo Boingo, Elfman went on to compose such memorable pieces as the themes from The Simpsons, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Batman. John Williams is another great composer from modern times.&nbsp;If you prefer jazzier tunes, give a listen to the composer and multi-instrumentalist Keith Jarrett. Other good musicians that are featured on this top modern composers list include Ennio Morricone, Rachel Portman and Alexandre Desplat.Who is the best modern composer? Be sure to vote them up and let your voice be heard!

Voting is now open for the Virtuoso Channel Hall of Fame: World's Greatest Violinists! 1. User voting changes list order. Vote for your favorite artists - you decide who's the best! 2. User submissions allowed. The list we've drawn up includes about 70 great performers. We'd like you to help us choose a further select group of entrants. Who do you think should join? To add your nomination, please scroll down to the end of this page.

Classical Music & Opera

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Opera isn’t a genre with which the average person is very familiar. In modern entertainment, opera and theatrical drama has drawn smaller audiences than it once did years ago. However, opera can be a beautiful experience, there’s nothing quite the raw power of the skilled human voice filling an entire room, communicating <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-romance-drama-movies/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">drama and romance</a>. It takes an incredibly well-trained voice to sing opera, but the musicians on this list have mastered the craft.Who are the best opera <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/rolling-stones_-100-greatest-vocalists-of-all-time/rolling-stone-lists?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">singers of all time</a>?&nbsp;The opera singers on this list are history’s all time best performers. They come from a variety of backgrounds and time periods, but the effect they had on the world of music and opera is incredible. An opera singer is a finely-tuned, highly skilled musician who has a unique, powerful voice, and can deliver a breathtaking live performance.This list features the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/notable-opera-singer_s)/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best opera singers</a> in the world's history, ranked by the community. Some of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-operas/bustermcdermott?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the great opera</a> singers on this list include Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Maria Callas, Pl&aacute;cido Domingo, and Mario Lanza. Vote up the best opera singers in history below, or add a talented opera singer who isn't already on the list.

Best Opera Singers of All Time | List of the Greatest Opera Singers in History

The Greatest Opera Singers of All Time

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Megan Marie Hart

Megan Marie Hart (born 1983) is an American operatic soprano from Eugene, Oregon. A member of the Landestheater Detmold, she has appeared in leading operatic roles and concerts in America and Europe.

Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American soprano. Born and raised in Laurel, Mississippi, she rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was the first African American to become a leading performer, or prima donna, at the Metropolitan Opera, and one of the most popular American classical singers of her generation.One critic characterized Price's voice as "vibrant", "soaring" and "a Price beyond pearls", as well as "genuinely buttery, carefully produced but firmly under control", with phrases that "took on a seductive sinuousness." Time magazine called her voice "Rich, supple and shining, it was in its prime capable of effortless soaring from a smoky mezzo to the pure soprano gold of a perfectly spun high C."A lirico spinto (Italian for "pushed lyric") soprano, she was considered especially well suited to the roles of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, as well as several in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
After her retirement from the opera stage in 1985, she continued to appear in recitals and orchestral concerts until 1997.
Among her many honors are the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964), the Spingarn Medal (1965), the Kennedy Center Honors (1980), the National Medal of Arts (1985), numerous honorary degrees, and 19 Grammy Awards for operatic and song recitals and full operas, and a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989, more than any other classical singer. In October 2008, she was one of the recipients of the first Opera Honors given by the National Endowment for the Arts.



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Joan Sutherland

Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian-born coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.
She possessed a voice combining extraordinary agility, accurate intonation, "supremely" pinpoint staccatos, a trill and a tremendous upper register, although music critics often complained about the imprecision of her diction.Sutherland was the first Australian to win a Grammy Award, for Best Classical Performance – Vocal Soloist (with or without orchestra) in 1962.

Feodor Chaliapin

Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin (Russian: Фёдор Иванович Шаляпин, tr. Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, IPA: [ˈfʲɵdər ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn]; February 13 [O.S. February 1] 1873 – April 12, 1938)  was  a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass voice, he enjoyed an important international career at major opera houses and is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.During the first phase of his career, Chaliapin endured direct competition from three other great basses: the powerful Lev Sibiriakov (1869–1942), the more lyrical Vladimir Kastorsky (1871–1948), and Dmitri Buchtoyarov (1866–1918), whose voice was intermediate between those of Sibiriakov and Kastorsky. The fact that Chaliapin is far and away the best remembered of this magnificent quartet of rival basses is a testament to the power of his personality, the acuteness of his musical interpretations, and the vividness of his performances.

Jessye Norman

Jessye Mae Norman (born September 15, 1945) is an American opera singer and recitalist. A dramatic soprano, Norman is associated in particular with the Wagnerian repertoire, and with the roles of Sieglinde, Ariadne, Alceste, and Leonore. Norman has been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and is a Spingarn Medalist. Apart from receiving several honorary doctorates and other awards, she has also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts, and is a member of the British Royal Academy of Music.

Grace Bumbry

Grace Melzia Bumbry (born January 4, 1937), an American opera singer, is considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, as well as a major soprano for many years. She was a member of a pioneering generation of African-American opera and classical singers who followed Marian Anderson (including Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett and Reri Grist) in the world of classical music and paved the way for future African-American opera and concert singers. Bumbry's voice was rich and sizable, possessing a wide range, and was capable of producing a very distinctive plangent tone.
In her prime, she also possessed good agility and bel canto technique (see for example her renditions of the 'Veil Song' from Verdi's Don Carlo in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as her Ernani from the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1984). She was particularly noted for her fiery temperament and dramatic intensity on stage. More recently, she has also become known as a recitalist and interpreter of lieder, and as a teacher. From the late 1980s on, she concentrated her career in Europe, rather than in the US. A long-time resident of Switzerland, she now makes her home in Salzburg, Austria.

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Samuel Ramey

Samuel Edward Ramey (born March 28, 1942, Colby, Kansas) is an American operatic bass.At the height of his career he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart and Rossini, yet with power enough to handle the more overtly dramatic roles in Verdi and Puccini.

Aprile Millo

Aprile Millo (born April 14, 1958) is an American operatic soprano of Italian and Irish ancestry who is particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Giuseppe Verdi. Possessing a spinto voice of power, warmth and temperament, Millo became one of the most celebrated opera singers of the late twentieth century. Although she has performed at many of the world's leading opera houses and with many orchestras and ensembles internationally, Millo has spent much of her career appearing in productions at the Metropolitan Opera.

Kiri Te Kanawa

Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa   (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a New Zealand soprano. She has a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced".Te Kanawa has received accolades in many countries, singing a wide array of works in many languages dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. She is particularly associated with the works of Mozart, Strauss, Verdi, Handel and Puccini, and has found considerable success in portraying princesses, nobility, and other similar characters on stage.Though she rarely sang opera later in her career, Te Kanawa frequently performed in concert and recital, gave masterclasses, and supported young opera singers in launching their careers. Her final performance was in Ballarat, Australia, in October 2016, but she did not reveal her retirement until September 2017.

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Rosa Ponselle

Rosa Ponselle (January 22, 1897 – May 25, 1981) was an American operatic soprano. 
She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th Century

Cheryl Studer

Cheryl Studer (born October 24, 1955) is an American dramatic soprano who has sung at many of the world's foremost opera houses. Studer has performed more than eighty roles ranging from the dramatic repertoire to roles more commonly associated with lyric sopranos and coloratura sopranos, and, in her late stage, mezzo-sopranos. She is particularly known for her interpretations of the works of Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner.

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Beverly Sills

Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929 – July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s.
Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was known for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in live opera and recordings. Sills was largely associated with the operas of Donizetti, of which she performed and recorded many roles. Her signature roles include the title role in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, the title role in Massenet's Manon, Marie in Donizetti's La fille du régiment, the three heroines in Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann, Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Violetta in Verdi's La traviata, and most notably Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux.
The New York Times noted, "In her prime her technique was exemplary. She could dispatch coloratura roulades and embellishments, capped by radiant high Ds and E-flats, with seemingly effortless agility. She sang with scrupulous musicianship, rhythmic incisiveness and a vivid sense of text." NPR commented, her voice was "Capable of spinning a seemingly endless legato line, or bursting with crystalline perfection into waves of dazzling fiorature and thrilling high notes." After retiring from singing in 1980, she became the general manager of the New York City Opera. In 1994, she became the chairwoman of Lincoln Center and then, in 2002, of the Metropolitan Opera, stepping down in 2005. Sills lent her celebrity to further her charity work for the prevention and treatment of birth defects.

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Ben Heppner

Thomas Bernard (Ben) Heppner, CC (born January 14, 1956) is a Canadian tenor and broadcaster, now retired from singing, who specialized in opera and other classical works for voice.

Marilyn Horne

Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages.  She is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts (1992) and the Kennedy Center Honors (1995).  She has won four Grammy Awards.

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf

Dame Olga Maria Elisabeth Friederike Schwarzkopf,  (9 December 1915 – 3 August 2006) was a German-born Austro-British soprano. She was among the foremost singers of lieder, and was renowned for her performances of Viennese operetta, as well as the operas of Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss. After retiring from the stage, she was a voice teacher internationally. She is considered one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century.

Brigitte Fassbaender

Brigitte Fassbaender (German pronunciation: [bʁiˈɡɪtə ˈfasbɛndɐ]; born 3 July 1939), is a German mezzo-soprano opera singer and a stage director. From 1999 to 2012 she was intendant (managing director) of the Tyrolean State Theatre in Innsbruck, Austria. She holds the title Kammersängerin from the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and the Vienna Staatsoper.

Gundula Janowitz

Gundula Janowitz (born August 2, 1937) is a German-born Austrian lyric soprano singer of operas, oratorios, lieder, and concerts. She is one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century and was pre-eminent in the 1960s and 1970s.

Christa Ludwig

Christa Ludwig (born 16 March 1928) is a retired German dramatic mezzo-soprano, distinguished for her performances of opera, Lieder, oratorio, and other major religious works like masses and passions, and solos contained in symphonic literature. Her career spanned from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. She is widely recognised as one of the most significant and distinguished singers of the 20th century, "with a voice of exquisite richness and, when needed breathtaking amplitude."

Thomas Hampson

Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings.
Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range of more than 80 roles, including the title roles in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Rossini's Guillaume Tell and The Barber of Seville, Ambroise Thomas' Hamlet, and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. The center of his Verdi repertoire remains Posa in Don Carlo, Germont in La traviata, the title roles in Macbeth and Simon Boccanegra, and more recently also Amfortas in Wagner's Parsifal and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca.
As a recitalist Hampson has won worldwide recognition for his thoughtfully researched and creatively constructed programs that explore the rich repertoire of song in a wide range of styles, languages, and periods. He is one of the most important interpreters of German Romantic song – especially known for his interpretations of the music of Gustav Mahler – and, with his "Song of America" project collaboration with the Library of Congress, has become known as the "ambassador" of American song.Hampson's diverse and expansive discography has earned him an Edison Award for Lifetime Achievement, four Edison Awards, four Echo prizes, numerous VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, Gramophone Awards, and Grand Prix du Disque, as well as six Grammy Award nominations, and one Grammy Award.
Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf once said of her student, "[Thomas Hampson is] the best singer in Europe right now."

Lawrence Brownlee

Lawrence Brownlee (born 1972) is an American operatic tenor particularly associated with the bel canto repertoire. Describing his voice, Speight Jenkins, general director of the Seattle Opera, said: "There are other singers that sing this repertory very well, but I don't think anyone else has quite as beautiful a sound and as rounded a tone," and praise his  "incredible top notes", adding about his high F (F5) in "Credeasi, misera": "With him it's not a scream, it's a beautiful sound." Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato adds: "He is always in service of the music. His natural instrument is just incredibly beautiful. The word 'honey' comes to mind. He also has technical prowess and agility."

Barbara Hannigan

Barbara Hannigan is a Canadian soprano and conductor, and one of the world's foremost performers of contemporary opera.

Lotte Lenya

Lotte Lenya (18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is best remembered for her performances of the songs of her first husband, Kurt Weill. In English-language cinema, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as a jaded aristocrat in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961). She also played the murderous and sadistic Rosa Klebb in the James Bond movie From Russia with Love (1963).

John Tomlinson

Sir John Rowland Tomlinson  (born 22 September 1946) is an English bass. 
Tomlinson was born in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England.  He trained as a civil engineer at Manchester University before deciding on a career in opera at age 21. He studied with Patrick McGuigan at the Royal Northern College of Music and with Otakar Kraus. Whilst studying at the RNCM, he was a member of the Manchester Universities Gilbert and Sullivan Society (MUGSS). He sings regularly with the Royal Opera and English National Opera, and has appeared with all the major British opera companies. He has sung at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany every year from 1988 to 2006, as Wotan, the Wanderer, King Marke, Titurel, Gurnemanz, Hagen and the Dutchman. In 2008, he created the title role in Harrison Birtwistle's opera The Minotaur at the Royal Opera House.
Tomlinson was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1997 for his services to music and was created a Knight Bachelor in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
In 2014 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society.

Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an American singer, one of the most celebrated of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth said: "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty." She performed in concert and recital in major music venues and with famous orchestras throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965. Although offered roles with many important European opera companies, Anderson declined, as she had no training in acting. She preferred to perform in concert and recital only. She did, however, perform opera arias within her concerts and recitals. She made many recordings that reflected her broad performance repertoire, which ranged from concert literature to lieder to opera to traditional American songs and spirituals. Between 1940 and 1965 the German-American pianist Franz Rupp was her permanent accompanist.Anderson became an important figure in the struggle for black artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall in Washington, DC. The incident placed Anderson into the spotlight of the international community on a level unusual for a classical musician. With the aid of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anderson performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in the capital. She sang before an integrated crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions. 
Anderson continued to break barriers for black artists in the United States, becoming the first black person, American or otherwise, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on January 7, 1955. Her performance as Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Met was the only time she sang an opera role on stage.
Anderson worked for several years as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and as a "goodwill ambassadress" for the United States Department of State, giving concerts all over the world. She participated in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, singing at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Anderson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Congressional Gold Medal in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, the National Medal of Arts in 1986, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.

Elisabeth Schumann

Elisabeth Schumann (13 June 1888 – 23 April 1952) was a German soprano who sang in opera, operetta, oratorio, and lieder. She left a substantial legacy of recordings.

Opera isn’t a genre with which the average person is very familiar. In modern entertainment, opera and theatrical drama has drawn smaller audiences than it ...