American tenor George Shirley crafted an international career in the world’s great opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Royal Opera - Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper, ...

1961 Metropolitan Opera debut: ‘The pinnacle (of his career) or close to it’ Retired in 2007 as UM’s director of vocal arts, School of Music, Theatre & Dance Graduated from Wayne State Universityin ...

Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth ...

African American opera tenor George Shirley reflects on his trailblazing music career. As one of the first African American operatic performers, renowned tenor and trailblazer George Shirley’s ...

Traveling through the night nearly 70 years ago to audition for the U.S. Army Chorus, George Shirley, a Wayne State University graduate who would go on to become the first Black tenor with New York's ...

“I am not a dazzler”: How Marian Anderson’s fashion legacy recast the role of opera... Fashion historian Raissa Bretaña explores how Anderson's sartorial choices "ultimately helped shape her persona ...

George Shirley is a trailblazer — an award-winning operatic tenor who helped change and shape some of the nation’s most powerful cultural institutions. As a pioneer and teacher, he paved the way for ...