In opera, in recital and in concert appearances with symphony orchestras and chamber music collaborators, Jessye Norman’s thoughtful music-making, innovative programming and fervent advocacy of contemporary music share equal acclaim with the majesty of her voice. In recent seasons, she has premiered the song cycle woman.life.song by composer Judith Weir – commissioned for her by Carnegie Hall, with texts by Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Clarissa Pinkola Estes – and performed the sacred music of Duke Ellington in a dramatic musical production. She has also released her first jazz CD, Jessye Norman Sings Michel Legrand. These varied expansions of her art have received wide acclaim. Miss Norman sings an exciting and unusual operatic repertoire that embraces composers ranging from Rameau and Berlioz to Schoenberg and Bartok at opera houses around the world, most notably the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as the Saito Kinen, Aix-en-Provence and Salzburg Festivals. Her distinguished association with Metropolitan Opera began with her debut on the opening night of the company’s centennial season in 1983. Her remarkable catalogue of recordings has won numerous international awards.

Recognized worldwide for her remarkable humanitarian efforts as well as her artistic accomplishments, Miss Norman became the youngest recipient of the United States Kennedy Center Honor in 1997. She has received some thirty honorary doctorates from colleges and universities, decorations and distinctions from governments around the world and appointment in 1990 as an honorary U.N. ambassador. In Augusta, Georgia, her hometown, the Amphitheatre and Plaza overlooking the tranquil Savannah River have been named for Jessye Norman.