Grace Bumbry, trail blazer for Black opera singers, dies at 86
Grace Bumbry was the first Black singer to perform at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival during her career
Pioneering opera singer Grace Bumbry has died at the age of 86.
According to her publicist, the artist died Sunday at Evangelisches Krankenhaus, a hospital in Vienna.
Born in 1937, Bumbry paved the way as the first Black singer to perform at Germany’s Bayreuth Festival during her career, spanning over three decades.
The late singer polished her skills as a mezzo from Boston University College of Fine Arts, however, also became equipped with some soprano as well as contralto.
Among the many accolades during her lifetime, Bumbry was also the recipient of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions.
However, her long journey wasn’t without hurdles, which often took the shape of racism and discrimination.
“I remember being discriminated against in the United States, so why should it be any different in Germany?” Bumbry told St. Louis Magazine in 2021.
“I knew that I had to get up there and show them what I’m about. When we were in high school, our teachers — and my parents, of course — taught us that you are no different than anybody else. You are not better than anybody, and you are not lesser than anybody. You have to do your best all the time,” she explained at the time.
