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Jessye Mae Norman
PERFORMER, PHILANTHROPIST.
2025 Inductee, Georgia Women of Achievement

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QUICK FACTS

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Birth Date

September 15, 1945​

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Death Date

September 30, 2019​

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Induction Year

2025

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City, Town, Region

​Augusta, GA

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Born on September 15, 1945, in Augusta, Georgia, Jessye Norman was not only a renowned operatic soprano but also a cultural beacon, leaving an indelible mark on the world of music. Throughout her illustrious career, Norman's ties to Georgia remained steadfast, reflecting a deep connection to her roots. Her contributions extended beyond the operatic stage, impacting communities locally and globally.

 

Jessye Norman's life journey began in Augusta, Georgia, where she was born and raised. Even as she gained international fame, Norman maintained a deep connection to her hometown. She frequently returned to Augusta, giving back to the community that nurtured her artistic spirit. In 2003, she founded the Jessye Norman School of the Arts in downtown Augusta, GA, which was a testament to her commitment to providing young talents opportunities to explore and develop their artistic potential right in the heart of Georgia. The Jessye Norman School has gone on create over 1,500,000 hours of arts education contact hours, even winning the 2019 Georgia Governor’s Award for Arts and Humanities.

 

Norman's musical education played a pivotal role in shaping her extraordinary career. She received her first formal vocal coaching from Rosa Harris Sanders Creque, who was her music teacher at A. R. Johnson Junior High School. She continued to take voice lessons privately with Ms. Sanders Creque while attending Lucy C. Laney Senior High School in downtown Augusta. At the age of 16, she entered the Marian Anderson Vocal Competition in Philadelphia which, although she did not win, led to an offer of a full scholarship at Howard University, in Washington, D.C. While at Howard, studying voice with Carolyn Grant, she sang in the university chorus and as a soloist at the Lincoln Temple United Church of Christ. In 1966, she won the National Society of Arts and Letters singing competition. After graduating in 1967 with a degree in music, she began graduate studies at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and later at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from which she earned a master's degree in 1968.

 

After graduating, Norman moved to Europe to establish herself. In 1968, she won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. The following year, she began a three-year contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where she first appeared as Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser. Ms. Norman went on to become an immensely successful operatic performer, one of history’s greatest. She performed at the Met 81 times. She won five Grammy Awards throughout her life, including their lifetime achievement award; she received forty-five honorary doctorates and a National Medal for the Arts from President Barack Obama. Her first well-publicized American performance was at the Hollywood Bowl for the venue's 50th anniversary celebration.

 

Early in her career, she toured Europe throughout the 1970s, giving recitals of works by Schubert, Mahler, Wagner, Brahms, Satie, Messiaen, and several contemporary American composers, to great critical acclaim. Her stage debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City was on September 26, 1983, the opening night of the company's 100th- anniversary season, when she portrayed Cassandre in Berlioz's Les Troyens. She performed this role nine nights, and regarding the last performance, The New York Times reported that "the audience gave Miss Norman a 15-minute standing ovation that brought her back to the stage more than a half dozen times."

 

She went on to commission the song cycle woman.life.song by composer Judith Weir, a work premiered at Carnegie Hall, with texts by Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Clarissa Pinkola Estés. According to Encyclopædia Britannica: "By the mid1980s she was one of the most popular and highly regarded dramatic soprano singers in the world." She was invited to sing at the second inauguration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan on January 21, 1985; in January 1997, she also performed at the second inauguration of U.S. President Bill Clinton. In 1986, Norman sang “God Save the Queen” for Queen Elizabeth II's 60th-birthday celebration. She received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1997, joining Arethra Franklin as the youngest person to receive this honor in the organization’s then 20-year history. She was named an honorary UN ambassador in 1990, served on the board of directors for Carnegie Hall, and joined the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

 

Her namesake school, the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, has gone on to have a massive impact of its own, affecting the lives of thousands of students and artists throughout Georgia. Today, JNSA serves 2,500+ people annually, employs several local artists, and has created over 1,000,000 contact hours of arts education. 70-75% of all admitted students come from low to moderate income backgrounds, and the programming is completely free. The program has won awards from the NEA and the Lewis Prize for Music, as well as the 2019 Georgia Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities and the 2021 After School Youth Development Excellence Award from the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network.

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Jessye Norman's life journey, firmly rooted in Georgia, exemplifies a legacy of excellence, mentorship, and cultural enrichment. Her influence extended far beyond the operatic stage, leaving an indelible mark on the world of music and education. Through her enduring achievements, Norman illuminated the path for aspiring artists, proving that with talent, dedication, and perseverance, one can achieve greatness. Her impact, felt not only in Georgia but across the nation and the world, cements her legacy as a true Georgia Woman of Achievement.

@2016 by Georgia Women of Achievement

Georgia Women of Achievement, Inc
4760 Forsyth Road
Box 8249
Macon GA 31210
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