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Renée Fleming

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Renée Fleming
Fleming seated, facing the camera and smiling
Fleming in 2010
Born(1959-02-14)February 14, 1959(age 65)
Indiana, Pennsylvania,U.S.
Education
Occupation(s)Singer (lyric soprano), actress, arts advocate
Spouses
Rick Ross
​
​
(m.1989;div.2000)​
Tim Jessell
​
(m.2011)​
Children2
Websitereneefleming

Renée Lynn Fleming(born February 14, 1959) is an Americansopranoand actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions.[1]A recipient of theNational Medal of Arts,Fleming has been nominated for 18Grammy Awardsand has won five times.[2]In June 2023, theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Artsannounced that Fleming would be one of the five artists recognized at the 2023Kennedy Center Honors,which she received in December 2023.[3]Other notable honors won by Fleming have included the Crystal Award from theWorld Economic ForuminDavos,[4]theChevalier de la Légion d'Honneurfrom the French government, Germany'sCross of the Order of Merit,Sweden'sPolar Music Prizeand honorary membership in England'sRoyal Academy of Music.Unusual among artists whose careers began in opera, Fleming has achieved name recognition beyond the classical music world.[5]In May, 2023, Fleming was appointed by theWorld Health Organizationas a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health.[6]On April 9, 2024,Penguin Random Housepublished Fleming's anthologyMusic and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness,a collection of essays about the health benefits of music and the arts, by scientists from leading research institutions, practitioners, educators, arts leaders, musicians, artists and writers.[7]

Fleming has a fulllyric sopranovoice.[8]She has performedcoloratura,lyric,and lighterspintosoprano operatic roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. A significant portion of her career has been the performance of new music, including world premieres of operas, concert pieces, and songs composed for her byAndré Previn,Caroline Shaw,Kevin Puts,Anders Hillborg,Nico Muhly,Henri Dutilleux,Brad Mehldau,andWayne Shorter.[9]In 2008, Fleming became the first woman in the 125-year history of theMetropolitan Operato solo headline a season opening night gala.[10]Conductor SirGeorg Soltisaid of Fleming: "In my long life, I have met maybe two sopranos with this quality of singing; the other wasRenata Tebaldi."[8]

Beyond opera, Fleming has sung and recordedlieder,chansons,jazz,musical theatre,andindie rock,and she has performed with a wide range of artists, includingLuciano Pavarotti,Lou Reed,Wynton Marsalis,Paul Simon,Andrea Bocelli,StingandJohn Prine.A 2018Tony Awardnominee, Fleming has acted onBroadwayand in theatrical productions in London, Los Angeles and Chicago. Fleming has also recorded songs for the soundtracks of several major films, two of which won theAcademy Award for Best Picture(The Shape of WaterandThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). Fleming has made numerous television appearances, and she is the only classical singer to have performed the U.S. National Anthem at theSuper Bowl.

Fleming has also become a frequent public speaker about the impact of music on health and neuroscience, winning aResearch!America Awardfor her advocacy in this field.[11]

Early life and education

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Fleming was born on February 14, 1959, inIndiana, Pennsylvania,the daughter of two music teachers, and grew up inChurchville, New York.[12]She has great-grandparents who were born inPragueand later emigrated to the U.S.[13][14]Fleming attendedChurchville-Chili High School.[15]

She studied withPatricia Misslinat theCrane School of Musicat theState University of New York at Potsdam,and graduated with aBachelor of Music Educationin 1981.[16][17]While at SUNY Potsdam, she took up singing with ajazztrio in an off-campus bar called Alger's.[18]The jazzsaxophonistIllinois Jacquetinvited her on tour with hisbig band,but she chose instead to continue with graduate studies at theEastman School of Musicat theUniversity of Rochester,[19]with voice teacher John Maloy.[20]She received aMaster of Musicin 1983 from Eastman.[21]

As a student, Fleming spent several summers at theAspen Music Festival and School(AMFS), where she studied withJan DeGaetaniand was directed by Edward Berkeley.[22]In Aspen, she appeared in the role of Anne Sexton in Conrad Susa'sTransformations(1983); gave her first performance as Countess Almaviva in Mozart'sThe Marriage of Figaro(1984), the role in which she later made most of her major opera house debuts; and sang the role of Anne in Stravinsky'sThe Rake's Progress(1987).[23]She also performed scenes fromDer Rosenkavalierduring her time at Aspen, and the Marschallin in that opera became one of her calling-card roles at opera houses around the globe.[22]

She won aFulbright Scholarship[24]in 1985, which enabled her to work in Europe withArleen AugérandElisabeth Schwarzkopf.[25]She then sang at jazz clubs to pay for further studies at theJuilliard School.[26]While at Juilliard, she sang in roles with theJuilliard Opera Center,appearing as Musetta in Puccini'sLa bohèmeand the Wife inMenotti'sTamu-Tamu,among others.[27][28]Her voice teacher at Juilliard wasBeverley Peck Johnson.[29]She left Juilliard with an Artist Diploma in 1986.[30][31]

Career

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1980s

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Fleming began performing professionally in smaller concerts and with small opera companies while still a graduate student atJuilliard.She sang frequently in theMusica Vivaconcert series sponsored by the New YorkUnitarian Church of All Soulsduring the 1980s.[32]In 1984 she sang nine songs byHugo Wolfin the world premiere ofEliot Feld'sballetAdieu,which she again performed in 1987 and 1989 at theJoyce Theater.[33]In 1986 she sang her first major operatic role, Konstanze inDie Entführung aus dem Serail,at theSalzburger Landestheater.Two years later she portrayed Thalie, Clarine and La Folie inJean-Philippe Rameau'sPlatéewith thePiccolo Teatro dell'Opera.[34]

Her major break came in 1988 when she won theMetropolitan Opera Auditionsat age 29. That same year she sang the Countess inThe Marriage of Figaroin her debut withHouston Grand Opera.She reprised the role the following year in her debut at theSpoleto Festival.[35]Also in 1989, Fleming made her debut with theNew York City Operaas Mimì inLa bohèmeunder conductorChris Nanceand her debut withThe Royal Opera,London, as Dircé in Cherubini'sMédée.She also was awarded aRichard Tucker Career Grantand won theGeorge London Competition.[36][37]

1990s

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In 1990 she was once again honored by theRichard Tucker Music Foundationbut this time with the highly covetedRichard Tucker Award.[38]That same year she made her debut withSeattle Operain her first portrayal of the title role inRusalka,a role that she has since recorded and reprised at many of the world's great opera houses. She also sang for the 50th anniversary of theAmerican Ballet Theatrein their production of Eliot Feld'sLes Nocesand returned to the New York City Opera to sing both the Countess inLe nozze di Figaroand Micaëla inBizet'sCarmen.She sang the title role in the U.S. premiere presentation ofDonizetti's 1841 operaMaria PadillawithOpera Omaha.[39]In addition, she sang the title role in Donizetti'sLucrezia Borgiawith theOpera Orchestra of New York.[40][41]

Fleming's first television appearance came in January 1991, singing the Cherry Duet fromMascagni'sL'amico FritzwithLuciano PavarottionLive from Lincoln Center.[42]Fleming made herMetropolitan OperaandSan Francisco Operadebut portraying Countess Almaviva inLe nozze di Figaroin 1991. She was originally not scheduled to make her Met debut until the following season, but stepped in to replaceFelicity Lottwho had become ill.[43]She returned to the Met later that year to sing Rosina in the world premiere ofJohn Corigliano'sThe Ghosts of Versailles.Continuing her progress, she made herCarnegie Halldebut performing music byRavelwith the New York City Opera Orchestra, sangRusalkawith Houston Grand Opera, and made her debut at theTanglewood Music Festivalas Ilia in Mozart'sIdomeneowithSeiji Ozawaand theBoston Symphony Orchestra.[44][45]

1992 saw Fleming making her debut withGrand Théâtre de Genèveas Fiordiligi in Mozart'sCosì fan tutte,[46]and she sang the role of Anna in Boieldieu'sLa dame blancheat Carnegie Hall with theOpera Orchestra of New Yorkand the role of Fortuna in Mozart'sIl sogno di ScipioneatAlice Tully Hall,as part ofLincoln Center'sFestival of Mozart Operas in Concert.[47][48]

Fleming sang the role of Alaide inBellini'sLa stranierain a concert performance by the Opera Orchestra of New York; made her debut at theRossini Opera Festivalin the title role ofRossini'sArmida;and debuted with theLyric Opera of Chicagoin the title role of Carlisle Floyd'sSusannah.[49]

She also gave her New York City solo recital debut at Alice Tully Hall to great acclaim,[50]sang her first Pamina in Mozart'sThe Magic Fluteat the Metropolitan Opera, and performedAlban Berg's "Three Excerpts fromWozzeckand the "LuluSuite "with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra underJames Levine.[51][52]

The same season saw her singing in the world premiere ofJoan Tower'sFanfarewithPinchas Zukermanand theAspen Chamber Symphony[53]and in the world premiere ofJohn Kander'sLetter From Sullivan Ballouat the Richard Tucker Awards ceremony.[54]

In June 1993, Fleming performed recital pieces at the funeral of the American sopranoArleen AugeratFrank E. Campbell Funeral Chapelin New York City.

During the 1993/1994 season, Fleming sang her first Desdemona in Verdi'sOtelloand her first Ellen Orford in Britten'sPeter Grimes,both with the Metropolitan Opera.[55]During the following summer, she made her debut at theGlyndebourne Festivalas the Countess inLe nozze di Figaro.[56]In addition, she performed the role of Madame de Tourvel in the world premiere of Conrad Susa'sThe Dangerous Liaisons.The 1994/1995San Francisco Opera's season included her Salome in Massenet'sHérodiade.[57]

In 1995 Fleming portrayed the Marschallin inDer RosenkavalierwithHouston Grand Opera;sang in Salomé in Massenet'sHérodiadewith the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall;[58]and sang Rusalka with the San Francisco Opera. Fiordiligi inCosì fan tuttewith Solti atRoyal Festival Hallin London followed, as did a lauded recital at theMorgan Library.[59]

A highlight of 1996 was her signing of an exclusive recording contract with the London/Decca label, making her the first American singer in 31 years to do so, the last having beenMarilyn Horne.[60]

The title role in Rossini'sArmidaat the Pesaro Festival in Italy also came in 1996. Fiordiligi inCosì fan tutteat the Met followed, as did the soprano solo in theVerdi Requiemwith Luciano Pavarotti and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.[61]Her debut in the role of Marguerite in Gounod'sFaustcame with Chicago Lyric Opera, and she sang the role of Donna Anna in Mozart'sDon Giovanniwith theParis Operaat the reopening of thePalais Garnierwith SirGeorg Solti.

Solti chose Fleming to be the first recipient of his "Solti Prize", an award given to an outstanding younger singer, and given by the "Académie du disque lyrique" in a ceremony equivalent to theGrammy Awards.[62]That year, Fleming debuted at theBayreuth Festivalas Eva in Wagner'sMeistersinger.[8]Her other performances included recitals at theEdinburgh International Festivaland atAlice Tully Hall.[63]

Her firstManonat theOpéra Bastillereceived glowing reviews[citation needed]in 1997. At the Bastille, she also reprised the Marschallin inDer Rosenkavalieras well as singing Marguerite inFaustand Rusalka at the Met.[64]

Two concert performances occurred: first with theNew York Philharmonic,first underZubin Mehtaperforming a selection of opera arias; the second singing Mozart'sExsultate, jubilateand three songs ofRichard StrausswithKurt Masur.She appeared at theRavinia Festivalwith theChicago Symphony Orchestraand performedSamuel Barber'sKnoxville: Summer of 1915with theOrchestra of St. Luke'sunderAndré Previn.She gave recitals as well at notable venues such as theSalzburg Festival.[65]

Two title roles were offered to Fleming in 1998. These were Richard Strauss'Arabellawith Houston Grand Opera[66]andCarlisle Floyd'sSusannah.Also, there was Countess Almaviva in a landmark production ofLe nozze di Figaroat the Met which also starredCecilia Bartoli,Susanne Mentzer,Dwayne Croft,Danielle de Niese,andBryn Terfeland which was broadcast onPBS'Great Performances.She made her Carnegie Hall recital debut and sang Richard Strauss'sFour Last SongswithClaudio Abbadoand theGustav Mahler Youth Orchestraat the Salzburg Festival.[67]and later with theBerlin Philharmonic.

She originated the roles ofBlanche DuBoisin the world première ofAndré Previn'sA Streetcar Named Desirewith theSan Francisco Operain September 1998.[68]

1999 brought appearances at theBavarian State Operaas the Marschallin inDer Rosenkavalierand she returned to Carnegie Hall to great success with a concert of Germanlieder.She also performed in recital withAndré Previnand made her debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Festival.[69]Fleming's CD,The Beautiful Voice,won her aGrammy Awardthat year.

Performances of two new title roles were given: Handel'sAlcinawithLes Arts Florissantsand conductorWilliam Christieand with theLyric Opera of Chicago[70]and Charpentier'sLouisewithSan Francisco Opera.[71]Fleming closed out the year by performing for PresidentBill Clintonat theWhite Housefor a Christmas celebration.[72]

2000s

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Fleming singing onstage with an orchestra
Fleming, April 2008

In 2000, Fleming appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and at Covent Garden as the Marschallin inDer Rosenkavalierand sang the title role in Donizetti'sLucrezia Borgiawith the Opera Orchestra of New York.[73]

She appeared as Donna Anna in Mozart'sDon Giovanniat theSalzburg Festivaland at the Met. She performed with theOrchestra of St. Luke's,underMark Elderas part of the PBS seriesLive From Lincoln Centerand with theBoston Symphony Orchestrain Haydn'sCreationunder James Levine.[74]In June of that year she sang at the installation of New York ArchbishopEdward Egan.[75]

As Desdemona inOtelloshe opened the 2001/02 Lyric Opera of Chicago season, Manon with the Paris Opera, the Marschallin with both the San Francisco Opera and the Met, and Arabella at both the Bavarian State Opera and the Met. She also sang in Verdi'sRequiemtwice, once with the London Symphony Orchestra and once with the New York Philharmonic. Fleming also sang atWorld Trade Center siteshortly after theSeptember 11 attacks.[26]

Taking a rather different approach, in 2002 Fleming provided the vocals forHoward Shore's soundtrack forThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingsoundtrack. Her singing can be found in the songs "The End of All Things", "Twilight and Shadow" and "The Return of the King" (Original Soundtrack) and "The Grace Of Undómiel", "Mount Doom", "The Eagles" and "The Fellowship Reunited" (The Complete Recordings). She also sang in several concerts in the United Kingdom with Bryn Terfel and gave the most extensive recital tour of her career, singing in dozens of recitals with pianistJean-Yves Thibaudetthroughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. In addition, she portrayed the role of Rusalka withOpéra Bastilleand Imogene in Bellini'sIl piratawithThéâtre du Châteletin Paris.

Her career at the Metropolitan Opera continued in 2003 with Imogene and Violetta inLa traviata.She sang the title role in Massenet'sThaïswith the Lyric Opera of Chicago, in addition to Rusalka at Covent Garden and another Violetta with Houston Grand Opera. A reprise of Blanche in Previn'sA Streetcar Named Desiretook place at theBarbican Centrein London.

Met performances continued in 2004, with Fleming portrayingRodelindainHandel's opera and reprises of Rusalka and Violetta at the Met. She also sang her first Countess inCapriccioat thePalais Garnierand performed in concerts with theChicago Symphony Orchestra,thePhiladelphia Orchestra,theBoston Symphony Orchestra,theLos Angeles Philharmonic,and theToronto Symphony Orchestraamong others. Recitals were given in Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and the United States and performed in several concerts withElton JohnatRadio City Music Hall.Her first book,The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer,was published in 2004 by the Penguin Group.[76]

Massenet'sManonat the Met, Desdemona in Verdi'sOtelloat Covent Garden, and Thaïs in Vienna were part of her 2005 repertoire, in addition to concerts with theBerlin Philharmonic(Mahler'sSymphony No. 4and Alban Berg'sSeven Early Songs,conducted by Claudio Abbado, and released as a live recording by Deutsche Grammophon), theLondon Symphony Orchestra,theBaltimore Symphony Orchestra,theNew Jersey Symphony,theRochester Philharmonic,and theMormon Tabernacle Choiramong several other ensembles.

In 2006, Fleming performed a solo concert at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with SirAndrew Davis,sang Violetta inLa traviatawithLos Angeles Opera;[77]returned to the Met to sing both Manon and Rodelinda; and took up Violetta in the Met's touring production to Japan. Several recitals and concerts throughout the United States, Italy, Russia, Sweden and Austria took place, the latter being a celebration of Mozart's 250th Birthday with theVienna Philharmonicwhich was broadcast live internationally. She also recorded song cycles with pianistBrad Mehldau,which were released asLove Sublime.[78][79]

Violetta reappeared the following year in Chicago; Tatyana inEugene Oneginand Violetta were given at the Metropolitan Opera; her Arabella was seen at theZurich Opera,as was Thaïs at theThéâtre du Châtelet,The Royal Opera,London, in concert at theVienna Konzerthaus,[80]and theLiceu,Barcelona. Performances with over a dozen orchestras, including theMonte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra,theNational Symphony Orchestra,theVancouver Symphony,theBoston Symphony,theSan Francisco Symphony,theChina Philharmonic Orchestra,theLos Angeles Philharmonic,and theBaton Rouge Symphony Orchestrawhere she appeared as aPennington Great Performersseries artist. Additionally, Fleming appeared at numerous music festivals, including the Salzburg Festival and the Lincoln Center Festival and she gave recitals throughout Southeast Asia, Germany, and Switzerland.

Fleming smiling
Renée Fleming in NY in 2008

On September 22, 2008, Fleming became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline opening night. Fleming performed three favorite roles: Violetta in act 2 of Verdi'sLa traviata;Manon in act 3 of Massenet'sManon;and the Countess in the final scene of Strauss'sCapriccio.The performance was also transmitted live in HD to screens inTimes Square.[10][81]The 2008/09 season resulted in Fleming singing Desdemona and Thais at the Metropolitan Opera, the Countess inCapriccioat theVienna State Opera,Tatyana at theTanglewood Music Festival,andLucrezia Borgia[82]at theWashington National Opera.

In 2009, Fleming premiered the complete version ofLe temps l'horlogebyHenri Dutilleux.She sang Violetta at Covent Garden and Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera, the Marschallin at theBaden-Baden Festival,theThéâtre des Champs-Élyséesand the Metropolitan Opera. She sang a variety of short pieces at Napa Valley'sFestival del Solein California.

Fleming sang in the opening concert of the 2009–10 season of the New York Philharmonic. The concert, telecast viaLive from Lincoln Center,was the first performance of conductor Alan Gilbert as music director of the New York Philharmonic. Fleming performedOlivier Messiaen's song cyclePoèmes pour mi.[83]

During the 2009–10 Metropolitan Opera season, Fleming sang inMary Zimmerman's new production of Rossini'sArmida,in the first-ever production of the opera by the company. She returned to that role during the Met's 2010–2011 season, along with the Countess inCapriccio.

On November 14, 2009, Fleming performed at a concert in Prague organized byVáclav Havelto celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CzechVelvet Revolution,which also featuredLou Reed,Joan Baezand others.[84]Fleming sang the aria "Song to the Moon" fromRusalkain Czech, and also sang "Perfect Day"in a duet with Reed.

In a 2010Wall Street Journalarticle, Fleming talked about her view of the battle between opera traditionalists and those who want to reinterpret the standards, siding – with some reservations – with the latter: "I'm not a reactionary. I've loved some of [these productions] when they've been well thought out. I have no problem with edgy, as long as it's not vulgar or disrespectful of the piece." She said her "classic" image meant that she was unlikely to be asked to perform in such productions. In the same interview, Fleming explained her increasing preference for performing in concerts, rather than opera productions, and said, having learned more than 50 operas, that she is unlikely to learn many more.[85]

At theLast Night of the Promsin London in 2010, Fleming performed songs byRichard Strauss,DvořákandSmetana.In December, the Board of Directors of Lyric Opera of Chicago announced that Fleming was named Creative Consultant, a first in the company's history.[86]

2011–2015

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On July 2, 2011, Fleming sang for theWedding of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstockin Monte Carlo.[87]On October 21, 2011, Fleming headlined a gala concert in the opening festivities of theRoyal Opera House Muscatin Oman.[88]In November 2011, Fleming appeared in the title role of Handel'sRodelindaat theMetropolitan Opera,in a revival of a production created for her in 2004, the first time the company had ever presented the work.[89]

Fleming performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra on January 29, 2011 for the Academy of Music 154th Anniversary Concert.Paul Simonalso performed at the concert, and together with Fleming sang "The Sound of Silence".[90]On November 11, 2011, Fleming performedA. R. Gurney'sLove LetterswithAlec Baldwinat Carnegie Hall in New York City.[91]In her role as creative consultant to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Fleming collaborated with Chicago's Second City comedy troupe to develop Second City's Guide to the Opera, which was staged at the Lyric Opera on January 5, 2013. Fleming co-hosted and co-starred with actorPatrick Stewartfor the sold-out performance.[92]

On April 26, 2013, Fleming sang the world premiere ofThe Strand Settingsat Carnegie Hall with theNew York Philharmonic.Written for Fleming by Swedish composerAnders Hillborgand presented as part of Fleming's Perspectives residency at Carnegie Hall, the work is a setting of poems by the Canadian poetMark Strand.The performance received a five-minute ovation.[93]In the Spring of 2014, Fleming performed the role of Blanche Dubois in André Previn's operatic adaptation ofA Streetcar Named Desireat Carnegie Hall in New York and later in Chicago and Los Angeles. TheLos Angeles Timestheater criticCharles McNultydescribed Fleming as "that rare opera star whose expressive vocal potential is nearly matched by a gestural eloquence", and wrote:

Renée Fleming's magnificent Blanche dominates the stage in every scene that she's in. The tragedy belongs to her character – and it's personal, achingly so. Fleming is quite simply the best Blanche I've seen sinceElizabeth Marvelbrutally essayed the role inIvo van Hove's brilliant deconstruction atNew York Theatre Workshopin 1999.[94]

In January 2015, Fleming co-starred with Kelli O'Hara in a new production of the operettaThe Merry Widowat the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The production was directed bySusan Stroman,the winner of five Tony Awards.[95]In April 2015, Fleming made her Broadway debut in a new comedy by Joe DiPietro,Living on Love,directed by Kathleen Marshall at the Longacre Theatre. Fleming played the role of an opera diva in the production, which also featuredDouglas Sills,Anna ChlumskyandJerry O'Connell.[96]

2016–present

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On May 5, 2016, Fleming sang at Carnegie Hall's 125th Anniversary Gala.Itzhak Perlman,James Taylor,Yo-Yo Maand others also performed.Richard Gereserved as the host.[97]On December 9, 2016, Fleming sang jazz with bassistChristian McBrideat Wigmore Hall in London.[98]

On May 13, 2017, Fleming performed the role of the Marschallin inDer Rosenkavalierfor the last time at the Metropolitan Opera.[99]In an interview, Fleming stated that she will focus in the future on new roles.[100]

Fleming performed the role of Nettie Fowler in a 2018Broadwayrevival ofCarouselat theImperial Theatre.Produced byScott Rudinand directed byJack O'Brien,the show garnered 11 Tony Award nominations, including a Tony nomination for Fleming herself.[101]

On September 1, 2018, Fleming sang "Danny Boy"at the funeral service for SenatorJohn McCainheld at theWashington National Cathedral.[102]On October 2, 2018, Fleming sang at the Carnegie Hall opening night gala with Audra McDonald and the San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.[103]

During April and May 2019, Fleming appeared opposite actorBen WhishawinNorma Jeane Baker of Troy,the inaugural production in the Kenneth C. Griffin Theater atThe Shedin Manhattan. In his review, New York Times theater criticBen Brantleywrote:

[Fleming's] creamy, disembodied voice floats through the air like thought made sound...Mr. Whishaw and Ms. Fleming are, against the odds, marvelous. They somehow lend an emotional spontaneity to ritualistic words and gestures, while conjuring an affecting relationship.[104]

On July 24, 2019, Fleming performed the world premiere ofPenelope,a collaboration betweenTom StoppardandAndré Previn,with theEmerson String Quartetand pianistSimone Dinnerstein.Fleming was joined by actressUma Thurman,who provided narration for the spoken text.[105]In the summer of 2019, Fleming co-starred withDove CameronandAlex Jenningsin the London premiere ofThe Light in the Piazza,which received six Tony awards when it opened on Broadway in 2005. In his review of the musical forThe Daily Telegraph,Rupert Christiansenwrote "[The] first London staging is lucky to have netted Renée Fleming for the central role of Margaret... Fleming makes the transition to Broadway style effortlessly, using her gorgeously rich middle register... and handling the spoken dialogue with wit and assurance."[106]Fleming performed the same role when the production was staged in Los Angeles and Chicago later in 2019.

In 2019, Fleming also premiered the Pulitzer Prize-winning composerKevin Puts'The Brightness of Light,a setting of letters betweenGeorgia O'KeeffeandAlfred Stieglitz.Fleming performed the work in concert at Tanglewood, Santa Fe, Aspen and the Kennedy Center.

On September 25, 2020, Fleming appeared in a live concert withVanessa Williams,titled "A Time to Sing", for a small, socially-distanced audience in the Kennedy Center Opera House. The performance, the first on a stage inside the Kennedy Center since the March 13 shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, was also live-streamed.[107]

On January 20, 2021, Fleming sang at a private mass attended by President-electJoe Bidenand Vice President-electKamala Harrisprior to their swearing-in as president and vice president of the US. Attendees also included the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives.[108]

On November 22, 2022, she returned to the stage to sing the role of Clarissa Vaughan in the world premiere ofKevin Puts'operaThe Hoursat the Metropolitan Opera.[109]The performance of December 10 was video-cast as part of theMetropolitan Opera Live in HDseries.[110]

Personal life

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The couple smiling, dressed in formal attire
Fleming with husband Tim Jessell

Fleming has been married twice. Fleming married actor Rick Ross in 1989, and the couple had two daughters. The couple divorced in 2000.[8][111]On September 3, 2011, Fleming married tax lawyer Tim Jessell, whom she met on a blind date set up by authorAnn Patchett.[112]

Non-classical recordings

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Fleming surrounded by a large military band, singing
Fleming performs atWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorialon January 18, 2009.

Fleming appeared as a special guest vocalist onJoe Jackson's1994 albumNight Musicon the song "Lullaby". Fleming has released a number of recordings on theDeccalabel. In 2000 she was a guest artist alongside the cellistJulian Lloyd Webberand the violinistGil Shahamon the albumTwo WorldsbyDave GrusinandLee Ritenour.In 2005, Fleming recorded a jazz album with pianistFred Herschand guitaristBill FrisellentitledHaunted Heart.On June 8, 2010, Decca/Mercury released Fleming's albumDark Hope,a collection of indie rock covers. The album was the idea of rock managers Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein; after listening to Fleming's performance of "In the Pines" on Elvis Costello's TV showSpectacle,they approached Fleming and producer David Kahne. Fleming'sDark Hopealbum features covers of songs byLeonard Cohen,Band of Horses,Jefferson Airplaneand others.[113]

In 2008, Fleming sangBlossom Dearie's "Touch the Hand of Love" accompanied by Chris Thile, Edgar Meyers, and Yo-Yo Ma on Ma'sSongs of Joy and Peacealbum.[114]In November 2010, the Charlie Haden Quartet West released the jazz CDSophisticated Ladiesin which Fleming was a guest vocalist on the song "A Love Like This" by Ned Washington and Victor Young. In 2014, Decca released Fleming's holiday albumChristmas in New York,with intimately-arranged jazz treatments of holiday standards. Guests on the album include Chris Botti, Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Kelli O'Hara, Gregory Porter and Rufus Wainwright. The album was the inspiration for a PBS special featuring Fleming with the same title.

In 2015, Fleming sang "New York Tendaberry" accompanied by Chris Thile, Edgar Meyers and Yo-Yo Ma on the Billy Childs albumMap to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro,the song winning the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. In 2017, Decca released Fleming's albumDistant Light,which features four songs by the Icelandic composerBjörk,Samuel Barber'sKnoxville: Summer of 1915and theStrand Settings,a four-song cycle composite by Anders Hillborg. Fleming recorded an album of musical theater songs,Reneé Fleming: Broadway,which was released by Decca in 2018. Guest artists included Christian McBride, Leslie Odom Jr., and Dan Tepfer.[115]

TV, radio, film, and digital platforms

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2000s

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Fleming appeared on the children's showSesame Streetsinging a lively rendition of "Caro nome" fromRigoletto,replacing the traditional Italian text with lyrics intended to aid children learning to count. She performed several times onGarrison Keillor'spublic radioprogramA Prairie Home Companion.[116]

Fleming appears on the soundtrack of the 2003 filmThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingin which she sings in thefictional languageSindarin.Fleming also sang on the soundtrack of the 2003 Disney release,Piglet's Big Movie,performing the duet "Comforting to Know" withCarly Simon.In 2004, Fleming performed in theKennedy Center Honorsgala, telecast on CBS, in tribute to honoreeWarren Beatty.She previously performed in Kennedy Center Honors broadcasts forAndré Previn(1998) andVan Cliburn(2001). OnNovember 18, 2005,Fleming appeared as guest on theBBC Radio 4radio programmeDesert Island Discs;her favourite was Joni Mitchell's 1971 song "River".[117]Fleming performed "I'll Be Home for Christmas"on ABC'sThe Viewon December 18, 2008.

Fleming performed on HBO'sWe Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorialon January 18, 2009, a concert which also included performances byBruce Springsteen,Mary J. Blige,Stevie Wonder,Garth Brooks,U2and others. Fleming sang the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "You'll Never Walk Alone"with the combined choirs of theUnited States Naval Academy.Fleming appeared on the December 18, 2009, broadcast of theMartha Stewart Showand baked cookies with Stewart andSnoop Dogg.[118]

Fleming was featured on the first episode of the second season ofHBO Masterclass.She led a master class in which she taught and mentored four aspiring college-aged singers.

OnGood Morning Americaon June 8, 2010, Fleming performed a cover ofMuse's "Endlessly" from their albumAbsolution.

2011–2015

[edit]

Fleming appears on the soundtrack of the 2011 Steven Spielberg animated filmThe Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicornas the singing voice of opera diva Bianca Castafiore, singing Juliette's waltz from Gounod'sRomeo et Juliette.[119]She recorded Alexandre Desplat's theme song "Still Dream" for the 2012 DreamWorks animated feature,Rise of the Guardians.[120]

On March 20, 2011, Fleming appeared in Grand Finale concert of theYouTube Symphony Orchestrawith the Sydney Children's Choir, performingMozart's "Caro bell'idol mio" K562, under the baton ofMichael Tilson Thomas.[121]In less than one week, the concert had 33 million online views.[122]

On April 6, 2012, Fleming performed Broadway duets with Josh Groban on PBS'sLive at Lincoln Center.[123]

On June 4, 2012, Fleming performed at the Queen Elizabeth IIDiamond Jubilee Concertfrom the balcony ofBuckingham Palace,a concert which was internationally broadcast and included performances byElton John,Paul McCartney,Kylie Minogue,Ed Sheeranand others.

In November 2013, Fleming programmed and hosted a three-day festival held at theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Artsin Washington DC titled "American Voices", which explored the artistry and pedagogy of singing across musical genres.[124]Sara Bareilles,Kim Burrell,Ben Folds,Sutton Foster,Alison Kraussand others conducted master classes and performed in the centerpieceAmerican Voicesconcert, in which Fleming also performed.[125]A 90-minute documentary on the festival and the concert was broadcast on PBS Great Performances.[126]

On September 26, 2013, Fleming sang theLate Show Top Ten List( "Top 10 Opera Lyrics" ) on CBS'sLate Show with David Letterman.[127]

On February 2, 2014, Fleming was the first opera singer to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner"as part of theSuper Bowl XLVIIIpre-game ceremonies, the broadcast earning theFox Networkthe highest ratings of any television program in the network's history. It was also the largest audience in the history of American television,[128]until it was eclipsed by NBC's airing ofSuper Bowl XLIXthe following year. The gown which Fleming wore while performing has been added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History.[129]

On November 9, 2014, with German ChancellorAngela MerkelandMikhail Gorbachevin attendance, Fleming sang in a televised concert at theBrandenburg Gateto commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of theBerlin Wall.[130]

2016–present

[edit]

On May 29, 2016, Fleming sang "How Can I Keep from Singing?"to honor fallen service men and women in theNational Memorial Day Concertheld on West Lawn of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The concert was broadcast on PBS.[131]

In 2017, Fleming, in her capacity as creative consultant for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, conceived and served as artistic director of Chicago Voices, a festival and concert celebrating Chicago's vocal music legacy and featuringKurt Elling,Lupe Fiasco,Jessie Mueller,John Prine,Michelle Williams,Terrence Howardand others.[132]Fleming also hosted and performed in the concert, which has been broadcast nationwide on PBS'sGreat Performancesand won three Midwest/Chicago Emmy awards.[133]

In the 2017 filmThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,Fleming's Decca recording of "The Last Rose of Summer"is heard in the opening scene and in the middle of the movie, which was nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Score.

In April 2018, Fleming was interviewed byDavid RubensteinonThe David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations,which was broadcast onBloomberg Television.[134]

Fleming sings "You'll Never Know" on the soundtrack of the filmThe Shape of Water,which won fourAcademy Awards,including Best Picture, and Best Original Score for composerAlexandre Desplat.[135]

On July 4, 2018, Fleming sang in the PBS telecastA Capitol Fourthfrom the West Lawn of the US Capitol, performing "You'll Never Walk Alone" and, during the fireworks display, "America the Beautiful".[136]

On September 1, 2018, Fleming sang "Danny Boy"at the funeral service for SenatorJohn McCainheld at theWashington National Cathedral.[102]

Fleming provided the singing voice of Roxann Coss, the American opera diva played byJulianne Moore,in the 2018 filmBel Canto,an adaptation ofAnn Patchett's best-selling novel.

At the 2018Kennedy Center Honorsawards ceremony broadcast on CBS, Fleming sang a jazz aria composed by honoreeWayne Shorteras a tribute to Shorter.[137]

Fleming appeared as a guest on the National Public Radio quiz showWait Wait... Don't Tell Me!broadcast on October 19, 2019.[138]

On June 14, 2020, Fleming premiered a new work by composerJohn Corigliano,"And the People Stayed Home", a setting of Kitty O'Meara's poem, which was written in the first weeks of the pandemic and became a viral success on social media. The performance was part of a streamed concert,We Are Here: A Celebration of Resilience, Resistance, and Hope,which also featured performances byWhoopi Goldberg,Lang Lang,andBilly Joel.[139]

On August 1, 2020, Fleming performed a live recital for the Metropolitan OperaMet Stars Live in Concertseries, live-streamed fromDumbarton OaksMusic Room in Washington, DC. The performance was later telecast on PBS Great Performances.[140]

Fleming was featured in the PBSGreat PerformancesNew Year's Eve telecast on December 31, 2020, in a concert taped atMount Vernonthat also includedJoshua Bell,Denyce Graves,Jean-Yves Thibaudet,Yo-Yo Ma,Anna Deavere Smith,Audra McDonald,Brian Stokes Mitchell,andPatti LaBelle.[141]

Music and health

[edit]

Fleming has been an advocate for the study of the relationship between music and health, as well as the utility of music in neuroscience research.

In 2016, Fleming was appointed Artistic Advisor for theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.In this capacity, she has spearheaded Sound Health, a collaboration between the Kennedy Center and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sound Health has brought together leading neuroscientists, music therapists and arts practitioners to better understand the impact of arts on the mind and body. In September 2019, the NIH announced a commitment of $20 million to support research projects to explore the potential of music for treating a wide range of conditions resulting from neurological and other disorders.[142]

Fleming standing at a lectern, speaking
Renée Fleming speaking at NIH May 2019

In 2017, Fleming andFrancis Collins,director of the National Institutes of Health, had published a joint article in theJournal of the American Medical Associationon music and health.[143]

While touring for performances, Fleming has given presentations around the world called "Music and the Mind", exploring the power of music as it relates to health and the brain.[144]Fleming's presentations on this subject have been made at hospitals, arts organizations and research universities. They have included the Compton Lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[145]the Pritzker Lecture for the Chicago Public Library[146]and the J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture at the National Institutes of Health.[147]

Fleming has been an Artist Spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association.[148]

In 2020, Research!America awarded Fleming the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion for her commitment to research advocacy at the intersection of music, the brain, and wellness.[11]

In May 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic had halted concert touring, Fleming launched Music and Mind LIVE, a weekly web series, streamed via Fleming's Facebook page and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts YouTube Channel.[149]Episodes featured different guest experts each week from the worlds of medicine, music therapy, research, advocacy, and performing arts, with viewer Q&A. The first guest was former U.S. Surgeon General Dr.Vivek Murthy,and later guests included author and neuroscientists Dr.Daniel Levitin,Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health Dr.Francis Collins,Deepak Chopra,M.D., and Grateful Dead drummerMickey Hart.19 episodes were streamed with a total of more than 665,000 views from 70 countries.

On April 20, 2021, theFoundation for the National Institutes of Health(FNIH) announced a grant from the Renée Fleming Foundation to convene experts from the fields of neuroscience, music therapy and medicine, behavioral intervention development, clinical trial methodology, and patient advocacy. The goal of these conventions was to explore enhanced data collection for improved clinical trial design and, ultimately, to create a research toolkit to help develop music-based therapies for brain disorders of aging.[150]

On May 6, 2021, Fleming spoke in the Fifth International Vatican Conference (conducted online during the COVID-19 pandemic) on a panel exploring the therapeutic use of music for patients with heart failure and cardiovascular disease. The 3-day conference also featured Dr.Anthony Fauci,Dr.Sanjay Gupta,Jane Goodall,PhD, and US Surgeon GeneralVivek Murthy,MD.[151]

Philanthropy and advocacy

[edit]

On July 13, 2004, Fleming joined Elton John on stage at Radio City Music Hall to perform "Your Song" in the finale of his benefit concert for Juilliard and the Royal Academy of Music.[152]

Fleming has supported and served on the board of directors ofSing For Hopesince the organization's inception in 2006.[153]Sing For Hope is a nonprofit that brings music programs and performances to under-resourced schools, healthcare facilities, refugee camps, transit hubs, and public spaces.

On April 11, 2013, Fleming hosted and performed at the 20th anniversary gala of Classical Action, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS that raises funds for AIDS and family-service organizations nationwide.[154]

On April 17, 2014, Fleming sang for the 25th anniversary concert of the Rainforest Foundation Fund at Carnegie Hall, performing solo and "Là ci darem la mano"in a duet withSting.The program also includedPaul Simon,Stephen Stills,Patti ScialfaandJames Taylor.[155]

In 2015, Renée Fleming and Andrea Bocelli sang together for the first time ever at "Remembering Pavarotti", a benefit concert for pancreatic cancer research at the Los Angeles Music Center'sDorothy Chandler Pavilionon September 25.[156]

Fleming has served on the board of trustees of Carnegie Hall, and as the artistic director of SongStudio, Carnegie's intensive program for emerging vocalists and pianists dedicated to the art of the song recital.[157][158]

Fleming has been a member of the Artistic Advisory Board of the Polyphony Foundation, which brings Israeli youth together through the study and performance of music.[159]Polyphony, through its executive director Naheel Abboud-Askar, has created a conservatory in Nazareth where Arab and Jewish students train together, and it has created music appreciation programs for Israeli kindergartens and elementary schools.[160]

Roles

[edit]

Fleming's signature roles include Countess Almaviva inMozart'sLe nozze di Figaro,Desdemona inVerdi'sOtello,Violetta in Verdi'sLa traviata,the title role inDvořák'sRusalka,the title roles inMassenet'sManonandThaïs,Tatyana inTchaikovsky'sEugene Onegin,the title role inRichard Strauss'sArabella,the Marschallin in Strauss'sDer Rosenkavalier,the Countess in Strauss'sCapriccio,and Blanche DuBois inAndré Previn'sA Streetcar Named Desire.

Roles by Renée Fleming
Year (debut) Role Composer Opera Location
1978 Laurie Moss Aaron Copland The Tender Land Crane School of Music– SUNY Potsdam
1979 Alison Gustav Holst The Wandering Scholar Crane School of Music – SUNY Potsdam
1980 Elsie Maynard Gilbert and Sullivan The Yeomen of the Guard Crane School of Music – SUNY Potsdam
1981 Zerlina Mozart Don Giovanni Eastman School of Music
1983 Anne Sexton Conrad Susa Transformations Aspen Music Festival and School
Musetta Puccini La bohème Juilliard Opera Center
1984 Countess Almaviva Mozart The Marriage of Figaro Aspen Music Festival and School
1986 Konstanze Mozart Die Entführung aus dem Serail Salzburger Landestheater
Frasquita Bizet Carmen Virginia Opera
Belle Fezziwig & Laundress,
Martha Cratchit, Rosie 		Thea Musgrave A Christmas Carol Virginia Opera
1987 the Wife Menotti Tamu-Tamu Juilliard Opera Center
Anne Stravinsky The Rake's Progress Aspen Music Festival and School
1988 Thalie, Clarine, La Folie Jean-Philippe Rameau Platée Il Piccolo Teatro dell'Opera
Pamina Mozart The Magic Flute Virginia Opera
1989 Mimì Puccini La bohème New York City Opera
Dircé Cherubini Médée Royal Opera House,Covent Garden
Imogene Bellini Il pirata Opera Orchestra of New York
1990 Rusalka Dvořák Rusalka Seattle Opera
Micaëla Bizet Carmen New York City Opera
Lucrezia Borgia Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia Opera Orchestra of New York
Maria Padilla Donizetti Maria Padilla Opera Omaha
1991 Rosina Corigliano The Ghosts of Versailles Metropolitan Opera
Ilia Mozart Idomeneo Tanglewood Music Festival
Amina Bellini La sonnambula Carnegie Hall
Thaïs Massenet Thaïs Washington Concert Opera
Sandrina Mozart La finta giardiniera Paris,Salle Pleyel
1992 La Contessa di Folleville Rossini Il viaggio a Reims Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Fiordiligi Mozart Così fan tutte Grand Théâtre de Genève
Anna Boieldieu La dame blanche Carnegie Hall
Fortuna Mozart Il sogno di Scipione Alice Tully Hall,Lincoln Center
Tatyana Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin Dallas Opera
1993 Armida Rossini Armida Pesaro, Rossini Festival
Donna Elvira Mozart Don Giovanni Teatro alla Scala
Alaide Bellini La straniera Carnegie Hall
Susannah Floyd Susannah Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lulu Alban Berg Symphonic Pieces fromLulu Metropolitan Concert/Gala at Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jenůfa Leoš Janáček Jenůfa Dallas Opera
1994 Desdemona Verdi Otello Metropolitan Opera
Ellen Orford Britten Peter Grimes Metropolitan Opera
Madame de Tourvel Conrad Susa The Dangerous Liaisons San Francisco Opera
Salome Massenet Hérodiade San Francisco Opera
Rosmonda Clifford Donizetti Rosmonda d'Inghilterra London
1995 Marschallin R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Houston Grand Opera
Amelia Verdi Simon Boccanegra Royal Opera at Covent Garden
1996 Marguerite Gounod Faust Lyric Opera of Chicago
Donna Anna Mozart Don Giovanni Opéra national de Paris
Eva Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Bayreuth Festival
1997 Manon Massenet Manon Opéra Bastille
1998 Arabella R. Strauss Arabella Houston Grand Opera
Blanche DuBois André Previn A Streetcar Named Desire San Francisco Opera
Gabriel / Eva Joseph Haydn Die Schöpfung Tanglewood Music Festival
1999 Alcina Handel Alcina Opéra national de Paris
Louise Charpentier Louise San Francisco Opera
2003 Violetta Verdi La traviata Houston Grand Opera
2004 Rodelinda Handel Rodelinda Metropolitan Opera
Countess R. Strauss Capriccio Palais Garnier
2005 Daphne R. Strauss Daphne University of Michigan
2010 Hanna Glawari Lehár The Merry Widow SemperoperDresden
2012 Ariadne R. Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos Baden-Baden
2018 Nettie Fowler Rodgers and Hammerstein Carousel Imperial Theatre,Broadway (Tony nomination)
2019 Margaret Johnson Adam Guettel The Light in the Piazza London, Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney
2022 Clarissa Vaughan Kevin Puts The Hours Metropolitan Opera
2023 Pat Nixon John Adams Nixon in China Opéra National de Paris

Recordings

[edit]

Audio

[edit]

Video

[edit]

Honors

[edit]
Fleming smiling, as Obama stands beside and looks to her
President Barack Obamaawards Renée Fleming the 2012National Medal of Arts.

Publications

[edit]
  • Fleming, Renée.The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer.New York: Penguin Group, 2004.ISBN978-0-14-303594-7(paperback). Published in France by Fayard Editions, in the United Kingdom by Virgin Books, by Henschel Verlag in Germany, Shunjusha in Japan, Pro Musica Mundi in Poland, Fantom Press in Russia, and by Guangxi Normal University Press Group in China.
  • Fleming, Renée.Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness.New York: Penguin Random House, 2024.ISBN9780593653197(hard cover).

References

[edit]
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  3. ^Tilda Wilson:"Queen Latifah and Billy Crystal are among the 2023 Kennedy Center honorees",NPR,June 22, 2023
  4. ^ab"2023 Crystal Award: Meet this year's winners".World Economic Forum.January 9, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 9,2023.
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  7. ^"MUSIC AND MIND HARNESSING THE ARTS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS"by Kirkus Reviews,Kirkus Reviews,February 15, 2024
  8. ^abcdTommasini, Anthony:"For a Wary Soprano, Slow and Steady Wins the Race",The New York Times,September 14, 1997
  9. ^Tommasini, Anthony:"People's Diva Sets Her Course",The New York Times,January 27, 2012
  10. ^ab"Fleming To Kick Off Metropolitan Opera's 125th Anniversary With Gala Performance".Broadway World.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  11. ^ab"Award-winning soprano and neuroscience research advocate Renée Fleming to be honored".EurekAlert! AAAS.November 26, 2019.RetrievedMarch 25,2021.
  12. ^"Churchville native Renée Fleming nominated for Tony Award"by Victoria E. Freile,Democrat and Chronicle,May 1, 2018
  13. ^""Radio Prague", July 17, 2009 ".Radio.cz. July 17, 2009.RetrievedFebruary 2,2014.
  14. ^See also Renée Fleming,The Inner Voice: the Making of a Singer.Paperback ed. New York: Penguin Group, 2004.
  15. ^"Churchville-Chili grad Renée Fleming nominated for a Grammy"by Jessica Spies,Monroe County Post,Rochester, December 22, 2011
  16. ^"8 Things You May Not Know About Renée Fleming".University Musical Society.August 25, 2023.RetrievedDecember 18,2023.
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  18. ^Carmichael, Judy (April 26, 2019)."Renee Fleming: Jazz Inspired".JazzTimes.RetrievedAugust 11,2020.
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  20. ^"John Maloy".Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.May 24, 2011.RetrievedAugust 11,2020.
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  27. ^John Rockwell,"Opera: Graziella Sciutti'sBohèmeat Juilliard "The New York Times,December 11, 1983
  28. ^Will Crutchfield,"Opera: Menotti Stages a Double Bill at Juilliard",The New York Times,April 26, 1987
  29. ^Anthony Tommasini(January 22, 2001)."Beverley Peck Johnson, 96, Voice Teacher".The New York Times.
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  31. ^"A Generous Gift Will Help Grad Students".The Juilliard Journal.November 28, 2016.RetrievedDecember 18,2023.
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  41. ^John Rockwell,"Review/City Opera; A SolidFigaroOpens A Season ",The New York Times,August 2, 1990
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  46. ^Paul Hofmann (January 5, 1992)."What's Doing In – Geneva".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 9,2018.
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  49. ^Bernard Holland(February 10, 1993)."Review/Opera; How Bellini's Second Thoughts Were Really First".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 2,2014.
  50. ^Allan Kozinn(March 31, 1993)."Review/Recital; The Bringing Together Of Poet and Composer".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 2,2014.
  51. ^James R. Oestreich(April 13, 1993)."Review/Opera; A Death CloudsZauberflöteCast Changes ".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 2,2014.
  52. ^"Mutter Cancellation".The New York Times.May 8, 1993.RetrievedFebruary 2,2014.
  53. ^Kathryn Shattuck (May 16, 1993)."In Tune With the Spirit of Summer; New Works In a New Hall".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 11,2018.
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  57. ^James R. Oestreich(September 13, 1994)."Music Review; Operas on Willful Women and Pliable Men".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 13,2019.
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  61. ^Anthony Tommasini(January 10, 1996)."Berlin Orchestra to Open 1996–97 Carnegie Season".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 9,2018.
  62. ^Alan Riding(March 12, 1996)."In Battle of Opera Houses, Paris Allows Each to Win".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
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  64. ^Paul Griffiths (March 24, 1997)."Brushing the Dust Off a Familiar Morality Tale".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
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  66. ^Sam Howe Verhovek (March 1, 1998)."What's Doing In; Houston".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
  67. ^Vernon Kidd,"Spring–Summer '98; 'Happy Birthday' and Variations",p. 5,The New York Times,March 15, 1998
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  69. ^Anthony Tommasini(January 29, 1999)."Music Review; Big Songs Plus Big Voice Equals Reinvented Recital".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 9,2016.
  70. ^Alan Riding(July 27, 1999)."Arts Abroad; Erotic Twist for a Baroque Enchantress".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 9,2016.
  71. ^Melanie Rehak (August 29, 1999)."The Way We Live Now: 8–29–99: Questions for Renee Fleming; Lullabye Diva".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 27,2023.
  72. ^Lawrence Van Gelder(December 6, 1999)."This Week – Lights On".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 9,2016.
  73. ^Leslie Kandell (February 6, 2000)."Jersey Footlights; Understudies in Spotlight".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
  74. ^Matthew Gurewitsch (May 21, 2000)."Bringing Down Houses, From 'Mony Mony' to Opera".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
  75. ^James Barron;Enid Nemy(June 16, 2000)."Public Lives".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.
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  77. ^"Singing Verdi's blues"by Mark Swed,Los Angeles Times,September 11, 2006
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  87. ^"Renée Fleming Sings Mozart at Royal Wedding in Monaco",Opera Fresh
  88. ^"Opera launch on Oct 12",Oman Daily Observer,September 28, 2011; viaPressReader
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  91. ^"Renée Fleming and Alec Baldwin ReadLove Lettersat Zankel Hall Nov. 17 ".Playbill.November 17, 2011.
  92. ^"Laughter storms the high C's as Second City, Fleming and Stewart skewer opera at the Lyric".January 8, 2013.
  93. ^"Ruminating on Love and Desire"byAnthony Tommasini,The New York Times,April 28, 2013
  94. ^McNulty, Charles(May 22, 2014)."Critic's Notebook: Theatrical victory belongs to Blanche inStreetcaropera ".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 10,2021.
  95. ^"Talking (and Talking) About Love"byAnthony Tommasini,The New York Times,January 1, 2015
  96. ^"Renée Fleming and Douglas Sills play vain divas in guilty pleasure 'Living on Love'".April 21, 2015.
  97. ^"Review: Carnegie Hall Turns 125, With Brass and Other Fanfare"byAnthony Tommasini,The New York Times,May 6, 2016
  98. ^Davis, Clive."Jazz: Renée Fleming at the Wigmore Hall".
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  101. ^"2018 Tony Award Nominations".
  102. ^abCraig, Gary; Bowerman, Mary (September 1, 2018)."Cindy McCain weeps during powerful rendition of 'Danny Boy' at John McCain funeral".USA Today.RetrievedSeptember 2,2018.
  103. ^"Audra McDonald and Reneé Fleming Headline Carnegie Hall's Opening Night Gala October 3".October 3, 2018.
  104. ^"Review: Marilyn Monroe Goes to War inNorma Jeane Baker of TroybyBen Brantley,The New York Times,April 10, 2019
  105. ^"A Chamber-Scale Odyssey with Many Champions".July 26, 2019.
  106. ^Christiansen, Rupert(June 19, 2019)."The Light in the Piazza, Royal Festival Hall, review: Just the thing for a wet Saturday afternoon".The Telegraph.London.Archivedfrom the original on January 12, 2022.
  107. ^Peter Marks:"Renée Fleming and Vanessa Williams sang at the Kennedy Center. And it turned the electricity back on",The Washington Post,September 27, 2020
  108. ^Barone, Joshua (January 20, 2021)."An 'intensely emotional' Renée Fleming sings 'Ave Maria' and 'America the Beautiful' at Inauguration Day Mass".The New York Times.RetrievedMarch 25,2021.
  109. ^Daniel D'Addario (December 1, 2022),"The Hours, in Its Latest Adaptation, Is a Stunning Triumph for the Met: Opera Review",Variety (magazine).
  110. ^Met program for the performance ofThe Hourson December 10, 2022.Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  111. ^James BarronwithAnthony TommasiniandJoyce Wadler,"Public Lives",The New York Times,November 3, 1998.
  112. ^"Love, etc...: Opera star Renée Fleming marries Washington lawyer Tim Jessell".The Washington Post.September 11, 2011.RetrievedJuly 6,2015.
  113. ^Peter Conrad,"Renée Fleming: Diva goes to the dark side",The Guardian,March 28, 2010
  114. ^Amacher, Julie (November 25, 2008)."New Classical Tracks: Yo-Yo Ma and friends celebrate the holidays".MPR News.RetrievedOctober 10,2021.
  115. ^"Broadway (Renée Fleming)".
  116. ^"March 10, 2007 rebroadcast with Renee Fleming, Maria Jette, Susan Graham, Bryn Terfel, and Mark Thomsen | A Prairie Home Companion".
  117. ^Renée FlemingatDesert Island Discs
  118. ^"MSS S5 E064V the Christmas Sweater & Cookie Show; Snoop Dogg; Renee Fleming – Kick off the Holidays!".
  119. ^Francis Merson,"Review: John Williams:The Adventures of Tintin(Soundtrack) ".Limelight.February 23, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2013.RetrievedAugust 1,2013.
  120. ^"Rise of the Guardians".Varèse Sarabande.Archived fromthe originalon December 28, 2012.RetrievedOctober 20,2012.
  121. ^Kosman, Joshua,"Michael Tilson Thomas fine-tunes YouTube Symphony",SFGate, March 21, 2011
  122. ^Melissa Lesnie,"YouTube Symphony attracts 33 million views worldwide",Limelight,March 25, 2011
  123. ^"Live from Lincoln Center | Renee Fleming at the Penthouse | Season 37 | Episode 1".PBS.
  124. ^" 'Beautiful voice' Renée Fleming embraces the age of versatility"byAnne Midgette,The Washington Post,November 15, 2013(subscription required)
  125. ^"American Voices all star Concert at the Kennedy Center".
  126. ^"American Voices with Renée Fleming ~ Preview the Documentary | Great Performances | PBS".PBS.December 17, 2014.
  127. ^Michael Cooper (September 26, 2013)."Renée Fleming Sings an Operatic Top Ten for David Letterman".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 14,2020.;Renée Fleming Sings the Top 10 on David Letterman 2013onYouTube
  128. ^Zachary Woolfe,"With Renée Fleming, Super Bowl XLVIII Gets an Operatic Opening",February 2, 2014, ArtsBeat,The New York Times
  129. ^"Renée Fleming's Super Bowl Gown and Wrap Join Smithsonian Collections".May 27, 2014.
  130. ^"Opera Fresh: Top Singers Commemorate the Fall of Berlin Wall 25th Anniversary".November 8, 2014.
  131. ^"National Memorial Day Concert | Renée Fleming Performs" How Can I Keep from Singing "| Season 2016".PBS.
  132. ^"'Chicago Voices' steps into the national spotlight ".Chicago Tribune.August 7, 2018.
  133. ^""Chicago Voices" Showcased Nationwide on PBS Friday ".August 9, 2018.
  134. ^"The David Rubenstein Show: Renée Fleming",Bloomberg Television,July 11, 2018
  135. ^"Alexandre Desplat's Award-Winning Original Soundtrack forThe Shape Of WaterIs Available Now ".Universal Music Canada.RetrievedFebruary 14,2018.
  136. ^"2018 A Capitol Fourth Preview".thirteen.org.PBS.RetrievedJune 12,2018.
  137. ^"The Kennedy Center Honors felt different, and it was all because ofHamilton"by Peter Marks,The Washington Post,December 2, 2018
  138. ^"Wait Waitfor Oct. 19, 2019, With Not My Job Guest Renée Fleming– We Quiz Opera Star Renée Fleming on 'Baby Shark'",Peter SagalandBill Kurtis,NPR.October 19, 2019;transcript
  139. ^"Renée Fleming premieres John Corigliano's setting of Kitty O'Meara's healing words".Wise Music Classical.RetrievedJune 12,2020.
  140. ^"Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert Review Renée Fleming in Washington D.C."OperaWire.August 2, 2020.RetrievedAugust 2,2020.
  141. ^"United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America".PBS.
  142. ^Neergaard, Lauran (April 20, 2021)."Striking a chord, NIH taps the brain to find how music heals".AP News.
  143. ^Collins, Francis S.; Renée Fleming (June 27, 2017)."Sound Health | An NIH-Kennedy Center Initiative to Explore Music and the Mind".JAMA.317(24): 2470–2471.doi:10.1001/jama.2017.7423.PMC6688192.PMID28586832.
  144. ^"Musicians and scientists talk 'Music and the Mind' at Yale Center Beijing".November 26, 2019.
  145. ^"Opera star Renée Fleming explores music and minds in MIT talk".March 12, 2019.
  146. ^"Renée Fleming: 2019 Cindy Pritzker Lecture on Urban Life and Issues".
  147. ^"J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture | NIH Office of Intramural Research".oir.nih.gov.
  148. ^"Renée Fleming Named Artist Spokesperson for AMTA & Music Therapy".AMTA.September 5, 2017.
  149. ^"Renée Fleming Will Continue to Explore Music and Mind in Live Streamed Series".May 12, 2020.
  150. ^"Renée Fleming Foundation and FNIH Support Initiative to Create Music-Based Therapies for Brain Disorders of Aging".Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.April 20, 2021.RetrievedApril 20,2021.
  151. ^"Vatican conference features Fauci, Francis – and Aerosmith".Daily Herald.Arlington Heights, Illinois. May 6, 2021.RetrievedMay 6,2021.
  152. ^Sanneh, Kelefa(July 15, 2004)."Pop Review; Precious Solitude with 160 to Help".The New York Times.
  153. ^"Sing for Hope – Board Members".
  154. ^"Classical Action Celebrates its 20th Anniversary | Classical Action".
  155. ^"Rainforest Fund benefit concert celebrates 25th anniversary with Sting, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Stephen Stills".New York Daily News.April 18, 2014.
  156. ^"Renee Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo Honor Pavarotti at Benefit Concert".September 29, 2015.
  157. ^"Carnegie Hall Presents Song Studio – Berkshire Fine Arts".
  158. ^"Board of Trustees".
  159. ^"Home".polyphonyfoundation.org.
  160. ^"The power of liturgical music".The Jerusalem Post | JPost.November 29, 2019.
  161. ^"Honorary Members".Sigma Alpha Iota. Archived fromthe originalon January 11, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 14,2013.
  162. ^James Barron,"Diva Dessert, Soprano Breakfast",The New York Times,December 22, 1999
  163. ^"Ann Patchett and Reneé Fleming onBel Canto,NPR
  164. ^abcMichael Andor Brodeur (November 30, 2023)."Renée Fleming uses her soprano to amplify the healing power of music".The Washington Post.RetrievedDecember 4,2023.
  165. ^"Soprano Renee Fleming To Give Her First NYC Master Class on Tuesday, October 20 at Juilliard".Juilliard.October 2009.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  166. ^"Renee Fleming".Polar Music Prize.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  167. ^"Past Winners Search": Renée Fleming –Verismo,Grammy
  168. ^"Renée Fleming, The People's Diva; Returns To Her Alma Mater To Perform with the Eastman Philharmonia In a Concert to Benefit the Eastman School of Music".Eastman School of Music.January 11, 2011.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  169. ^"Renee Fleming".Fulbright Association.RetrievedNovember 17,2013.
  170. ^Thierry Hillériteau,"Renée Fleming, la mélodie du bonheur en France",Le Figaro,February 29, 2012
  171. ^"CMU to Award Five Honorary Degrees".The Piper.Carnegie Mellon University. May 11, 2012.RetrievedJune 18,2021.
  172. ^Wolfgang Spahr,"German ECHO Classical Award Winners Announced, to Be Honored October 14"ArchivedOctober 16, 2012, at theWayback Machine,Billboard,July 10, 2012
  173. ^"President Obama to Award 2012 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal".whitehouse.gov.July 3, 2013.RetrievedAugust 1,2013– viaNational Archives.
  174. ^Laidler, John (May 2015)."Ten to receive honorary degrees".The Harvard Gazette.RetrievedJuly 21,2017.
  175. ^"National Recording Registry Picks Are 'Over the Rainbow'".Library of Congress. March 29, 2016.RetrievedMarch 29,2016.
  176. ^"31249 Reneefleming (1998 DF14)".Minor Planet Center.RetrievedDecember 4,2023.
  177. ^"Opera legend and three others to receive honorary degrees".Northwestern Now.RetrievedJune 23,2018.
  178. ^"Winnaar – Oeuvreprijs – 2018 – Renée Fleming"(in Dutch). Edison Award.RetrievedFebruary 12,2020.
  179. ^"University celebrates virtual commencement".Yale Daily News.May 18, 2020.RetrievedMay 18,2020.
  180. ^"2021 Advocacy Awards Agenda".Research!America.RetrievedMay 13,2020.
  181. ^"Peabody Graduation 2021".Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.RetrievedMay 26,2021.
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