The Bayreuth Festival mourn Grace Bumbry, who made opera history in Bayreuth in 1961 with her portrayal of Venus in “Tannhäuser”. Wieland Wagner brought her to Bayreuth, and she later described him, along with conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch, as the most important people in her career: “They stood firmly behind me”. With her acclaimed performance in Bayreuth, Bumbry rose to become a European opera star. This was followed by appearances at the Salzburg Festival, in Hamburg, London, Tokyo, as well as at the Vienna State Opera and La Scala in Milan. In 1996, she was appointed Commandeur of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government, and in 2009, then US President Barack Obama awarded her the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime achievement. We bow to one of the greatest artists of her time.
On the Death of Grace Bumbry!
