Veronica Tyler Explained

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Veronica Tyler (March 4, 1937 – March 21, 2020) was an American soprano.

Veronica Tyler was born in Baltimore, Maryland.^[1] She attended Frederick Douglass High School.^[2] One of the first African-Americans to attend the prestigious Peabody Institute after it opened to blacks in 1949, she and classmate Junetta Jones were still barred from the school cafeteria.^[3] She studied under Alice Duschak and graduated in 1960. She went on to study under Florence Page Kimball at the Julliard School.

Her New York debut was in 1961 with the American Opera Society in Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea.^[4] That same year she appeared in the first of three appearances on Leonard Bernstein's television show Young People's Concerts, singing "Hello, Hello" from Menotti's The Telephone and "Mimi's Farewell" from La Boheme.^{[5] [6]} The next summer she appeared on the television talk show Tonight Starring Jack Parr. In 1963, she won first prize at the International Music Competition in Munich.

1964 was her debut with the New York City Opera as Suzanna in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. In her second appearance on Bernstein's Young People's Concerts, she sang Micaela's Aria from Bizet's Carmen. That May, she starred as Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with the New York City Center Light Opera Company, alongside Robert Guillaume as Sportin' Life.^[7] In 1966, she won the silver medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in the Soviet Union. She and other American winners performed at the White House.^[8] In her final appearance on Young People's Concerts in 1967, she sang "Mi chiamano Mimi" from Puccini La Boheme and "My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy and Bess. On the program, Bernstein noted that the two songs required two very different vocal styles and praised Tyler's ability to perform both. Tyler went on to teach at a number of institutions, including the University of Florida, University of Missouri, University of Michigan, and Morgan State University.

Personal life

In 1961, she married Barry Hawkins, a marine architect. They had a daughter, Adriane.^[9]

Discography

• The Passion of Christ in Spirituals (1980)^[10]

Notes and References

1. Book: Southern, Eileen . Biographical dictionary of Afro-American and African musicians . 1982 . Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-313-21339-7.
2. Arnett, Earl. "Veronica Tyler at Peabody: 'I'm free . . . and I want to share it'"  The Sun (1837-); Baltimore, Md.. 23 May 1978: B6.  
3. Web site: Unsung Legends . 2024-08-19 . Opera Baltimore . en-US.
4. "Young Star has Many Successes", Sacramento Observer. 19 Dec 1968: 15.  
5. Book: Kopfstein-Penk, Alicia . Leonard Bernstein and His Young People's Concerts . 2015-01-22 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-0-8108-8850-0 . en.
6. Book: Bernstein, Leonard . Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts . 2005 . Hal Leonard Corporation . 978-1-57467-102-5 . en.
7. Book: Dietz, Dan . The complete book of 1960s Broadway musicals . 2014 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1-4422-3071-2 . Lanham, Md.
8. News: Times . Howard Taubman Special To the New York . 1966-09-09 . Command Performance; Texas Gets Into Act at White House Reception for Tchaikovsky Winners . 2024-08-19 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
9. A Baltimore Soprano in a Hurry: 'I Want to Be a Great Artist in My Lifetime, Not When I'm Gone,' Says Veronica Tyler-She's on Her Way. Zeitlin, Arnold.  The Sun (1837-); Baltimore, Md.. 30 May 1965: SM13.
10. Casarotti, Joao Paulo. Charles Lloyd, Jr. Celebrating 75 Years of A Hidden American Treasure. The American Music Teacher. Vol. 73, Iss. 3,  (Dec 2023/Jan 2024)