Wilhelmenia Fernandez (1949–2024), acclaimed operatic soprano

Wilhelmenia Fernandez was an operatic soprano who toured the world and starred in the cult classic 1981 film “Diva.” 

Stephen Gould (1962–2023), powerful opera tenor

Stephen Gould was a powerful tenor whose 2006 performance as Siegfried in Wagner's “Der Ring des Nibelungen” earned rave reviews and led to a career on stage in some of the world’s greatest opera houses.

Renata Scotto (1934–2023), operatic soprano icon

Renata Scotto was a singer, teacher, and opera director who was widely considered one of the greatest sopranos of her generation.

Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023), sensory-focused Finnish composer

Kaija Saariaho was a Finnish composer who saw music as an art for all the senses, suggesting color, texture, and more for a richer sensory palate.

Grace Bumbry (1937–2023), pioneering opera star 

Grace Bumbry was an operatic mezzo-soprano who became one of the first Black superstars of the genre. 

Virginia Zeani (1925–2023), Transylvanian opera singer

Virginia Zeani was an operatic soprano known for roles including her signature, Violetta in “La Traviata.”

Joyce Bryant (1927–2022), singer called “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell”

Joyce Bryant was a singer of the 1940s and ‘50s known as “The Bronze Blonde Bombshell” and “The Black Marilyn Monroe.”

Joanna Simon (1936–2022), opera singer and TV correspondent   

Joanna Simon was an acclaimed opera singer and an Emmy-winning arts reporter for PBS’s “MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour.”

Jessye Norman (1945–2019), Grammy-winning opera singer

Jessye Norman was an operatic soprano known for her matchless voice and for her signature roles including Strauss’ Ariadne. She made her debut on the operatic stage in 1969, portraying Elisabeth in Wagner’s “Tannhauser” in Berlin. Inspired as a girl by listening to performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on the radio, Norman made her debut at the Met in 1983, singing the part of Cassandre in “Les Troyens” by Berlioz. She would go on to sing at the Met more than 80 times. Norman performed at the second inaugurations of presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, and she sang at England’s celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th birthday as well as at the bicentennial of the French Revolution. She won five Grammy Awards, including one for lifetime achievement, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1997, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2009.

Ermanno Olmi (1931–2018), Italian cinematic legend

Won the 1978 Palme d'Or prize at Cannes.

Roberta Peters (1930 - 2017), coloratura soprano opera star

The coloratura soprano was a 35-year veteran of New York City's Metropolitan Opera Company.

Patrice Munsel (1925 - 2016), opera star

Opera star Patrice Munsel died Aug. 4, according to her family. She was 91.

10 Things to Know About Tenor Luciano Pavarotti

Here are 10 memorable moments from the career of tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Late Blooming Tenor

Susan Boyle wasn’t the first British singing sensation to blossom relatively late in life. Anthony Rolfe Johnson became an opera star despite not even being able to read music at age 30.