Jessye Norman was an American soprano whose versatile performances ranged from
Baroque repertoire such as in Purcell's `Dido and Aeneas', through Italian
classics such as Verdi's `Aida', to Wagner's `Tannhäuser' and Stravinsky's
`Oedipus Rex'. Her commanding stage presence and ability to project drama
through her voice made her one of the best-known sopranos with an impressive
repertoire of operatic and concert performances and recordings throughout her
career.
Norman was born into a musical family. Her mother and grandmother were both
pianists, and she began singing in chur...