Everett Lee
Latest News on Everett Lee:
New York City Opera to Present ENRICO CARUSO AND HIS SONGS (Jan 26, 2024)
New York City Opera to Offer a Presentation of Pedro Halffter's Opera KLARA This Month (Jan 13, 2024)
New York City Opera to Present An Evening Of Caroling At Bank Of America Winter Village At Bryant Park (Dec 1, 2023)
New York City Opera to Present ENRICO CARUSO AND HIS SONGS (Jan 26, 2024)
New York City Opera to Offer a Presentation of Pedro Halffter's Opera KLARA This Month (Jan 13, 2024)
New York City Opera to Present An Evening Of Caroling At Bank Of America Winter Village At Bryant Park (Dec 1, 2023)
Everett Lee BIO
Lee became the first African-American conductor to lead a production on Broadway in 1945's On The Town. He was also among the first Black conductors to lead a major opera company, conducting the New York City Opera's production of Verdi's "La Traviata" in 1955.
Lee studied violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received a Ranney Scholarship. In 1943, Lee was asked to join the orchestra of the Broadway musical Carmen Jones, and he played violin in the pit and performed the oboe onstage in one scene.
In 1946, Lee won a Koussevitzky Music Foundation Award to conduct at Tanglewood, and played first violin in the New York City Symphony. In 1947, he founded an interracial orchestra, the Cosmopolitan Symphony Society, made up of "Americans of Chinese, Russian, Jewish, Negro, Italian and Slavic origin." He served as director of Columbia University's opera department in the early 1950s and traveled to Europe on a Fulbright scholarship.
In 1953, Lee served as a guest conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, becoming the first African American to conduct a white symphony orchestra in the American South.
Facing racism in America, Lee moved to Germany with his family in 1957. In 1962, he was appointed chief conductor of the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in Sweden, a position he held for a decade. In 1976, he conducted the New York Philharmonic for the first time; the concert was in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and included a work by African-American composer David Baker. In 1979, he became music director of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra in Colombia.
Everett Lee News
New York City Opera to Present ENRICO CARUSO AND HIS SONGS
New York City Opera presents Caruso and His Songs, a recital by tenor Mark Milhofer and pianist Marco Scolastra, paying homage to the legendary Enrico Caruso. The program features songs written for Caruso, including compositions by Caruso himself.
New York City Opera to Offer a Presentation of Pedro Halffter's Opera KLARA This Month
New York City Opera will present a presentation of Pedro Halffter's opera KLARA, an operatic and dance performance about artificial intelligence this month.
New York City Opera to Present An Evening Of Caroling At Bank Of America Winter Village At Bryant Park
New York City Opera presents an evening of caroling at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, featuring singers from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Show Choir.
New York City Opera's ANGELS IN AMERICA Awarded The Austrian Musical Theater Award For Best Contemporary Musical Theater Production
New York City Opera has announced Angels in America has received the Austrian Musical Theater Award for Best Contemporary Musical Theater Production for its co-production with The Salzburger Landestheater. The eleventh annual Austrian Music Theater Awards ceremony took place in Vienna City Hall, honoring exceptional works of music, theater, and musical theater, from across Austria.
New York City Opera to Present FROM VIENNA TO BROADWAY! at Bryant Park Picnic Performances
Join New York City Opera at Bryant Park Picnic Performances for a delightful musical journey from Vienna to Broadway. Experience a charming review of songs, duets, and ensembles from the 20th century, featuring works by Lehar, Herbert, Gershwin, and more. No tickets required, ample seating available. Livestream broadcasts available nationwide.
Tenor Alessandro Lora to Perform in Concert at Bryant Park Picnic Performances
Experience the enchanting vocals of tenor Alessandro Lora in concert at Bryant Park Picnic Performances. Join us on Saturday, August 19th at 7pm for an unforgettable evening of diverse Italian repertoire and operatic favorites. Don't miss this classic Italian romance and passion.
New York City Opera to Present THE BARBER OF SEVILLE As Part Of Bryant Park Picnic Performances
Join New York City Opera for a free outdoor performance of The Barber of Seville in Bryant Park. No tickets required, seating available, and free picnic blankets for audience members to borrow. Can't attend in person? Livestream broadcasts are available nationwide.
New York City Opera Presents THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS At NYU Florence, June 29-30
This summer, in partnership with NYU Florence, New York City Opera will bring The Garden of the Finzi-Continis to Florence, Italy for two exclusive performances of selected scenes at the historic Villa La Pietra.
New York City Opera Presents LA BOHEME This June
New York City Opera will present La Bohème on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 7pm as part of their Park Series in Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America.
New York City Opera Presents Summer 2023 Season Part Of Bryant Park Picnic Performances
New York City Opera will present a season of four free, live performances this summer as part of their Park Series in Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America. Each performance features City Opera's brightest stars as well as members of the City Opera orchestra and will begin at 7pm on the Bryant Park Stage.
New York City Opera Announces Winners Of The Duncan Williams Voice Competition, In Partnership With Manhattan School Of Music
New York City Opera has announced the winners of the 2023 Duncan Williams Voice Competition. Hosted by J'Nai Bridges, the competition spotlights Black and Latinx singers and awards over $50,000 in prize money.
New York City Opera to Present ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 in December
New York City Opera will celebrate the holidays with All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at Sacred Heart University Community Theatre, presented in association with Bodhi Tree Concerts and with the support of Kings Alley.
New York City Opera Presents ROMANCE IN OPERA
New York City Opera will present Romance in Opera on Monday, September 12, 2022 at 7pm at Wollman Rink in Central Park. Stars of the New York City Opera stage bring romance to life, with love stories as passionate as the music itself.
New York City Opera Presents LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Final Summer 2022 Show At Bryant Park Picnic Performances
New York City Opera will present an abridged version of Donizetti's classic Lucia di Lammermoor on Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7pm as part of Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances to Present New York City Opera's LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR in September
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America will continue on September 2 with New York City Opera's fourth and final summer 2022 performance at Bryant Park, a special one-night-only abridged version of Donizetti’s classic Lucia di Lammermoor.
New York City Opera Presents MILESTONES OF AMERICAN OPERA At Wollman Rink In Central Park
Enjoy an evening of great American operatic works by composers including Carlisle Floyd, Ricky Ian Gordon, Douglas Moore, Tobias Picker, Robert Ward, and Iain Bell. The concert will feature performances by extraordinary artists from the New York City Opera, including Tatev Baroyan, Lisa Chavez, Mark Delavan, Kristin Sampson, and Victor Starsky.
New York City Opera Presents OPERA'S GREATEST MOMENTS At Wollman Rink In Central Park
New York City Opera will present Opera's Greatest Moments on Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 7pm at Wollman Rink in Central Park.
New York City Opera Presents PRIDE IN THE PARK As Part Of Bryant Park Picnic Performances
New York City Opera will present the annual Pride in the Park concert on Friday, June 17, 2022 at 7pm as part of Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America.
New York City Opera Presents THE BARBER OF SEVILLE As Part Of Bryant Park's Summer Picnic Performances
New York City Opera will present The Barber of Seville on Friday, May 27, 2022 at 7pm as part of Bryant Park's Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America. The one-night-only performance will be fully staged, costumed, and accompanied by live music.
New York City Opera Presents Family-Friendly Performances Of THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
New York City Opera presents a family-friendly version of The Barber of Seville at the Theater at St. Jean's, 150 E. 76th Street, NYC on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 10am & 2pm. Gioachino Rossini's sparkling music animates the hijinks of Figaro, opera's most famous barber.
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