How did Grace Bumbry die? Opera singer cause of death Explained

Opera singer Grace Bumbry cause of death. (Source : Grace Bumbry/Facebook)

Grace Bumbry, one of the first African American women to dominate the international opera stage, has died. Let’s see How did the Opera Singer Grace Bumbry die and Grace Bumbry cause of death in detail.

How did Grace Bumbry die?

Grace Bumbry, 86, passed away on May 7 at a hospital in Vienna. She was a vocalist with a bright charm, a wide vocal range, and superstar splendor.

David Lee Brewer, her publicist, announced her demise. In October, Ms. Bumbry suffered a stroke.

In her hometown of St. Louis, where she was born on January 4, 1937, Grace Bumbry will now be burned and her urn interred. David Brewer would want to give the great singer’s fans and supporters the chance to say their goodbyes, though. With Stephen’s Cathedral in mind for the Austrian capital, Brewer suggests that commemoration ceremonies may be held in Vienna, New York, and St. Louis. After all, Bumbry had strong links to Vienna, the city she had selected to be her new home.

Secretary of State for Culture Andrea Mayer (Greens) said today:

“Grace Bumbry was an icon of operatic art and a pioneer for generations of opera singers after her,” “With her legendary debut in Bayreuth in the 1960s, she made a decisive contribution to equality in the opera business . It was an honor for the city and the country that a world star like her chose Vienna as her adopted home.”

Grace Bumbry cause of death

Grace Bumbry was regarded as having a friendly personality. Many people must be curious to know the Grace Bumbry cause of death in light of the recent news.

Her adopted son David Brewer disclosed the cause of death to the APA. Grace Bumbry was transported back to Vienna in December after having a stroke in New York the previous year. In this situation, the soprano, who had begun her career as a mezzo, passed away in the hospital.

Who was Grace Bumbry?

American opera singer Grace Bumbry was a famous soprano early in her career and was regarded as one of the top mezzo-sopranos of her time.

She was a part of the groundbreaking generation of African-American opera and classical singers that included Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, and Reri Grist and that included Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, and Shirley Verrett.

Reri Grist eventually replaced Marian Anderson in the opera and classical music worlds. Future generations of African-American opera and concert singers were able to follow in their footsteps. Bumbry had a rich, powerful voice with a broad range and the ability to produce a distinctly plangent tone.

She had good agility and bel canto technique in her heyday. She was known for having a fiery temperament and acting with great drama. She had just gained popularity as a recitalist, lieder translator, and teacher. She focused her professional efforts on Europe rather than the United States starting in the late 1980s.

As Princess Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, Bumbry made her stage debuts at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala, and the Metropolitan Opera in 1963, 1964, and 1965, respectively. Bumbry made her soprano debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1964, performing Verdi’s Lady Macbeth for the first time.

In two acclaimed performances of Carmen in 1966, one in Salzburg under the baton of Herbert von Karajan and the other for Bumbry’s debut with the San Francisco Opera, she sang Don José against Jon Vickers’ Don José. She returned to the San Francisco Opera in 1967 for her first performance of Laura Adorno in La Gioconda with Leyla Gencer as Gioconda, Renato Cioni as Enzo Grimaldi, Maureen Forrester as La Cieca, and Chester Ludgin as Barnaba.

In 1967, she sang Carmen once more in her debut with the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company. The Grace Bumbry Black Musical Heritage Ensemble, a group dedicated to preserving and performing classic Negro spirituals, was created by her and she travelled with it in the 1990s.

In 1997, she made her final operatic debut in Lyon as Klytämnestra in Richard Strauss’ Elektra. Since then, she has dedicated herself to teaching, judging, and performing on the concert stage.

In 2001 and 2002, she gave a series of recitals in tribute to her teacher, Lotte Lehmann, including performances at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Wigmore Hall in London, and Alice Tully Hall in New York.

She returned to the opera stage in 2010 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, performing in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha after a long hiatus, and in 2013, she made her way back to the Vienna State Opera to play the Countess in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades.

To aspiring vocalists, she offers the following advice:

“To strive for excellence, that’s the answer. If you strive for excellence, that means that you are determined. You will find a way to get to your goal, even if it means having to turn down some really great offers. You have to live with that, as you have to live with yourself.”

Bumbry has been honoured with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. She received several awards, including the UNESCO Prize, the Distinguished Alumna Prize from the Academy of Music of the West, the Premio Giuseppe Verdi in Italy, and the French government’s Commandeur des Arts et Lettres title. In 1972, she won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording. She received one of the 2009 Kennedy Centre Honours on December 6, 2009, in recognition of her contributions to the performing arts.

She paid homage to her operatic friend Justino Diaz, who was one of the five recipients of the 2021 Kennedy Centre Honors that evening, on December 5, 2021.

Tributes to Grace Bumbry 

Many people expressed their profound sympathies to her family and expressed how much they loved her. The news of this occurrence has upset her supporters and fans.

Fundación Victoria de los Ángeles wrote : “Sad to know that Grace Bumbry has passed away. She was the first black singer to sing at the Bayreuth Festival in ‘Tannhäuser’ directed by Wieland Wagner, performing the role of Venus opposite to Victoria de los Ángeles as Elisabeth in 1961. We will remember her always and we send our love to all the family .”

J’Nai Bridges wrote :”You graced us with your your gorgeous voice, soul and passion for opera! You broke down so many stereotypes and barriers with your excellence undeniable artistry and outspoken honesty. We spoke on the phone and exchanged emails and were due to finally meet and do a project together last winter, but God had different plans. Dearest Grace Bumbry KS thank you for the inspiration you have been and will always be. You will be deeply missed and forever cherished. Rest well Queen Diva!”

One of the worst things anyone can go through in life is losing a loved one. Any journey must have a destination at the end. The person’s time on earth has regrettably come to an end now that they have died. We wish her eternal peace and send our thoughts and prayers to her loved ones, family, friends. May she rest in peace.

Kindly use the comment box below to honor the death of Grace Bumbry by leaving a tribute.

How did Linda Gurney die? Pianist & Clarinetist cause of death Explained