Sills, Beverly

Sills, Beverly
orig. Belle Silverman

born May 25, 1929, New York, N.Y., U.S.

U.S. soprano.

She sang on radio as a child and made her operatic debut in 1946. From 1955 she sang with the New York City Opera. After gaining attention for her coloratura performance in Julius Caesar (1966), she became one of the most celebrated opera stars in the world. After 25 years of singing with the company, she served as its director (1979–89). She sang with the Metropolitan Opera as well (1975–80), though after her prime. An effervescent personality, she hosted broadcast concerts and opera performances, becoming popular among a wide public.

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▪ 2008
Belle Miriam Silverman  American operatic soprano and administrator
born May 25, 1929 , Brooklyn, N.Y.

died July 2, 2007 , New York, N.Y.
won international fame with her lilting voice many years before her Metropolitan Opera debut at age 46. At age three, as “Bubbles” Silverman, she first appeared on Rainbow House, a Saturday morning radio program, and she became a regular. She also made a few motion picture shorts and became a fixture on Major Bowes Capitol Family Hour and, later, on the radio soap opera Our Gal Sunday, on which she played a “nightingirl of the mountains.” At age 12 she left the show to complete her education in public schools and at the Professional Children's School in New York, from which she graduated in 1945. She made her operatic debut in 1947 with the Philadelphia Civic Opera, and in 1955 she became a member of the company of the New York City Opera, making her debut as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Sills married journalist Peter B. Greenough in 1956. She left the stage in 1961 to focus on her children, one of whom was born deaf and the other of whom was autistic. She returned in 1963 to sing in Don Giovanni, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Il Trittico. Her performance as Cleopatra in the New York City Opera company's 1966 production of George Frideric Handel's Giulio Cesare brought her to international prominence as a performer of the florid repertoire and made her a celebrity. Sills then made several appearances in European opera houses, including La Scala in Milan (1969) and Covent Garden in London (1970). Her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Pamira in Gioachino Rossini's The Siege of Corinth in 1975, was a phenomenal success. She wrote two autobiographies: Bubbles: A Self-Portrait (1976) and Beverly (1987). Besides serving (1979–89) as director of the New York City Opera, where she introduced the use of supertitles (a projection of the English-language translation of the lyrics onto a screen above the stage), Sills was chairman of the board (1994–2002) of New York's Lincoln Center and chairman of the board (2002–05) of the Metropolitan Opera.

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▪ American opera singer
original name  Belle Miriam Silverman 
born May 25, 1929, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.
died July 2, 2007, New York City
 American operatic soprano who won international fame many years before her Metropolitan Opera (Metropolitan Opera Association) debut at age 46. After retirement from her singing career, she became a notable arts advocate and fund-raiser.

      Sills was early destined by her mother for a career in the performing arts. At age four, as “Bubbles” Silverman, she first appeared on Uncle Bob's Rainbow House, a Saturday morning radio program, and she became a regular. She won a prize on Major Bowes (Bowes, Edward)'s The Original Amateur Hour at age 10, made a couple of motion picture shorts, and became a regular on Major Bowes Capitol Family Hour and, later, on the radio soap opera Our Gal Sunday, on which she played a “nightingirl of the mountains.” At age 12 she retired to complete her education in public schools and at the Professional Children's School in New York, from which she graduated in 1945. Also that year she toured with a Gilbert and Sullivan opera company and in 1947 made her operatic debut with the Philadelphia Civic Opera. She spent several years traveling with touring opera companies and making guest appearances in various opera centres throughout the United States. In 1955 she became a member of the company of the New York City Opera and made her debut as Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.

      Sills married Peter B. Greenough in 1956. The difficult circumstances of their children—one born deaf and the other severely mentally handicapped and autistic—forced Sills to leave the stage in 1961. She returned in 1963 to sing in Don Giovanni, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Il Trittico. Her performance as Cleopatra in the New York City Opera company's 1966 production of George Frideric Handel's Giulio Cesare—noteworthy for her evident vocal accomplishment and the subtlety of her acting ability—brought her to international prominence as a performer of the florid repertoire and made her a celebrity.

      Sills then made several appearances in European opera houses, including La Scala in Milan (1969) and Covent Garden in London (1973). Her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Pamira in Gioachino Rossini's The Siege of Corinth in 1975, was a phenomenal success. She wrote autobiographies: Bubbles: A Self-Portrait (1976) and Beverly (1987). From 1979 to 1989 she was director of the New York City Opera, consolidating the legacy of Julius Rudel while improving its financial and administrative condition. From 1994 to 2002 she was chairman of the board of New York's Lincoln Center, and from 2003 to 2005 she was chairman of the board of the Metropolitan Opera.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • SILLS, BEVERLY — (née Belle Silverman; 1929– ), U.S. soprano singer. Born in New York City, Sills made her first public appearance as Bubbles, becoming a child radio star at the age of three; at six she was singing coloratura soprano arias on Major Bowes Capital… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Sills,Beverly — Sills (sĭlz), Beverly. Originally Belle Silverman. Born 1929. American operatic soprano and manager who joined the New York City Opera in 1953 and was its general director from 1980 to 1989. * * * …   Universalium

  • Sills, Beverly — orig. Belle Silverman (n. 25 may. 1929, Nueva York, EE.UU.). Soprano estadounidense. Desde su niñez cantó en la radio y en 1946 hizo su debut en la ópera. A partir de 1955 cantó con la Ópera de Nueva York. Después de concitar gran atención por su …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Beverly Sills — (May 25, 1929 – July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano who enjoyed success in the 1960s and 1970s. She was famous for her performances in coloratura soprano roles in operas around the world and on recordings. After retiring from singing… …   Wikipedia

  • Beverly Sills — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Beverly Sills Información personal Nombre real …   Wikipedia Español

  • Beverly Wolff — (November 6, 1928 August 14, 2005) was an American mezzo soprano long associated with the New York City Opera. Life and career Beverly Wolff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and studied music in her native city and in Philadelphia. She made her… …   Wikipedia

  • Beverly Sills — (née Belle Silverman, Brooklyn, 26 mai 1929 New York, 2 juillet 2007) était une soprano américaine, particulièrement associée au répertoire français et le bel canto italien. Biographie Enfant prodige, elle chante dès l âge de trois ans à la radio …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beverly Wolff — (Atlanta, Géorgie, 6 novembre 1928 Lakeland, Floride, 14 août 2005) était une mezzo soprano américaine qui acquit une renommée internationale. Biographie Beverly Wolff étudie le chant d abord à Atlanta, puis à Philadelphie. Elle fait ses débuts… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beverly — or Beverley is a unisex name which is now more commonly a female name. It can also refer to:GeographyBeverly;United States *Beverly, Chicago, Illinois *Beverly, Kansas *Beverly, Massachusetts *Beverly, New Jersey *Beverly, Ohio *Beverly, West… …   Wikipedia

  • Sills — ist der Name folgender Personen: Beverly Sills (1929–2007), US amerikanischen Opernsängerinnen François Sills (* 1964), deutsch kanadischer Eishockeyspieler Milton Sills (1882–1930), US amerikanischer Schauspieler und Universitätsprofessor …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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