The Unforgettable Jessye Norman, One Year Later
The celebrated soprano died suddenly a year ago, leaving her fans, including one NPR producer, in grief, but with many fond memories.
Heroes never fade from memory. Last year, on Sept. 30, 2019, the great American soprano Jessye Norman died suddenly. She was just 74.
was the first living opera singer I truly fell in love with. Before her, only long-dead singers appealed to me – Enrico , Maria , John , Elisabeth Rethberg, Claudia Muzio. But then I heard Norman in recital at Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium on Jan. 8, 1986. The rich, radiant beauty and Grand Canyon amplitude of the voice, singing music by and , thrilled like none other I'd heard. After that night, I would travel to hear her in opera productions and recitals.
