Renée Fleming

American soprano Renée Fleming made her Royal Opera debut in 1989 as Dircé (Médée). She has since returned to sing Comtesse de Folleville (Il viaggio a Reims), Amelia Grimaldi (Simon Boccanegra), the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Rusalka, Desdemona (Otello), Thaïs, Violetta (La traviata), Countess Madeleine (Capriccio, in concert) and in gala performances.

Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed sopranos of her generation and performs at the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls. She regularly sings for special events, including the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony, HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, President Obama’s inauguration celebration concert and at the Super Bowl, becoming the first classical artist to sing America’s national anthem there. In 2008 she was the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to headline an opening night gala. Her wide discography includes four Grammy Award-winning albums. In addition to her singing career, she regularly hosts for the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series, and in 2010 was named the first Creative Consultant for Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 2016 she was appointed Artistic Advisor at Large for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Fleming’s many awards include the US National Medal of Arts, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, a Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Sweden’s Polar Prize, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, Honorary Membership of the Royal Academy of Music and two Classical Brit Awards.