Leontyne Price Essentials

The rich sound of this soprano's voice is an opera specialist's delight, and can also serve as a gateway into classical singing. With her spinto sound—which includes lyric elegance and dramatic heft—she can translate the words of a Verdi heroine into a universally understandable language. Her ability to project feelings of intense longing makes for showstopping solo arias during operas such as Un Ballo in Maschera. As one of the first African-American artists to break the colour barrier at the Metropolitan Opera, Price's overall contribution to classical culture is historic on multiple levels.