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Latonia Moore

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Latonia Moore
Born1979
Houston, Texas,U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of North Texas,Academy of Vocal Arts
Occupationopera singer
Websitehttps:// latoniamooresoprano /

Latonia Moore(born 1979,[1][2]inHouston,Texas) is an American three-time Grammy Award-winningsopranoknown for her performances in the title roles ofAidaandMadama Butterfly,as well as her work inTerence Blanchard's operas.

Early life and education

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Moore grew up listening toBlack music,and began singing in the church choir of the New Sunrise Baptist Church (where her grandfather Cranford Moore was a pastor) at age 8. In her youth, she sang in the Texas All-State Choir.[3]

Moore first studiedgospelandjazz,until Pattye Johnstone, one of her teachers at theUniversity of North Texasconvinced her to studyclassical music.[4]Moore made her debut in 1998 at thePalm Beach OperainWest Palm Beach,and was engaged as a student in the same year at the Houston Ebony Opera. She continued as a student of Bill Schuman at theAcademy of Vocal Arts,in Philadelphia,[5]where she graduated in 2005. In 2000 she won theMetropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.[1]

Career

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In New York City, Moore attracted critical praise for her 2008 performance with theOpera Orchestra of New YorkinPuccini'sEdgar.In March 2012, she made herMetropolitan Operadebut as a late replacement forVioleta Urmanaon short notice asAidain a live broadcast.[6]She would go on to performAidamore than a hundred times.[7]

Moore is featured on commercial recordings of the MahlerSymphony No 2(Deutsche Grammophon0289 474 5942 2) and of Verdi'sMacbeth(sung in English, Chandos CHAN 3180(2)).[8]

In January 2016, Moore performed for the newly revivedNew York City Operain Puccini'sToscaat the Rose Theater in Lincoln Center.[9][10]

In April 2016, she sang the lead role of Cio-Cio San in theSan Diego Opera's performance of Puccini'sMadama Butterfly,[11]garnering critical recognition for her acting, her "rich, supple and multi-octave soprano voice" and vocal interpretation.[12]During that production, she met and became friends withmezzo-sopranoJ'Nai Bridges,and the two reunited at San Diego Opera for a concert in 2023.[7]

Moore appeared in 2018 withOpera Australiain the title role of Puccini'sTosca,delivering a critically acclaimed "complex performance" with a voice of "luxurious colour and brilliance at the top".[13]

In 2019, Moore played the role of Serena in the Metropolitan Opera'sPorgy and Bess.[14]The production wonBest Opera Recordingat the63rd Annual Grammy Awards.She also starred in the Met's Grammy-winning productions ofFire Shut Up in My BonesandChampion.[15]

Honors

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Year Award Category Notes Ref
2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions [1]
2005 Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year -Dallas Opera [16]
2021 63rd Annual Grammy Awards Best Opera Recording for the Metropolitan Opera'sPorgy and Bess [15]
2023 65th Annual Grammy Awards Best Opera Recording for the Metropolitan Opera'sFire Shut Up in My Bones [7]
2024 66th Annual Grammy Awards Best Opera Recording for the Metropolitan Opera'sChampion [17]

Recordings

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References

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  1. ^abcTommasini, Anthony(2000-03-08)."Listening to the Future At the Met Auditions".The New York Times.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  2. ^Tommasini, Anthony (2012-12-21)."Colorblind Casting Widens Opera's Options".The New York Times.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  3. ^Meares, Joel (2014-09-29)."Latonia Moore back to star in her own right in Opera on the Sydney Harbour'sAida".The Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  4. ^Story, Rosalyn M. (June 2010)."If I Could Sing Like a Daughter of God".Opera News.Vol. 74, no. 12.Retrieved2012-04-04.
  5. ^David Patrick Stearns (2000-03-08)."The Voice Doctor".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  6. ^"Opera's Next Wave: Soprano Latonia Moore".Opera News.Vol. 77, no. 2. August 2012.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  7. ^abcKragen, Pam (2023-10-22)."In harmony: Opera stars Latonia Moore and J'Nai Bridges talk Grammys, friendship, roles and what's on their playlists".San Diego Union-Tribune.Retrieved2024-02-07.
  8. ^Christiansen, Rupert(2014-04-24)."Verdi:Macbeth:'sharply energised'".The Daily Telegraph.London.Retrieved2015-01-01.
  9. ^Stearns, David Patrick (25 January 2016)."New York City Opera's resurrection may be right".The Philadelphia Inquirer.RetrievedSep 16,2019.
  10. ^Russell Platt (15 January 2016)."Leap of Faith".The New Yorker.Retrieved2023-03-06.
  11. ^"San Diego Opera:Madama Butterfly2015–2016 season,San Diego Opera,accessed June 20, 2016
  12. ^"Moore brings new dimension toButterfly",The San Diego Union-Tribune,April 17, 2016
  13. ^Davies, Bridget (Apr 25, 2018)."Toscareview: Latonia Moore resplendent in modernised Puccini ".The Age.RetrievedSeptember 16,2019.
  14. ^Davidson, Justin (2019-09-24)."A Gorgeous Porgy and Bess, Its Flaws Intact, at the Metropolitan Opera".Vulture.Retrieved2024-02-07.
  15. ^ab"Latonia Moore | Artist | GRAMMY".grammy.Retrieved2024-02-07.
  16. ^"Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year".The Dallas Opera.23 May 2022.Retrieved2024-02-07.
  17. ^Salazar, Francisco (2024-02-04)."Metropolitan Opera & Julia Bullock Lead Classical Grammy Awards".OperaWire.Retrieved2024-02-07.
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