this holiday i am saddened by the loss of one of the brightest american opera singers america has ever known.

she was more than just a singer - she was an inspiration to all who love music.

beverly sills died of lung cancer on monday - her voice now left to those wonderful recordings for us to enjoy.

i had the great privilege of working on an opera where she was more than just the star - she was the inspiration!

I am referring, of course, to Beverly Sills.
In a profession that breeds Narcissism, just ask your average Opera aficionado for some Soprano jokes, she was a caring and giving person.
She had two children, one was deaf, and later developed MS, and the other was metally retarded, so neither child could follow her into the world of Opera, or truly appreciate her art.
Through all of this, she was always a hard working, caring, sharing person who both created and supported great art.
Personally, I think that she was the only singer to completely own Miss Piggy in her Muppet Show appearance too.

Beverly Sills, opera maven, died yesterday at age 78. I loved her voice, her stage presence--and I loved telling people that my mother could have given Beverly a run for her money.

Opera has lost one of its legends. Beverly Sills died of lung cancer today at the age of 78. She was not only a great star but one of the nicest people in a business full of egos and attitude. Her nickname was "bubbles" which was apt because of her sparkling personality. She was know for wide range of roles and repertory, from the coloratura role of Zerbinetta in Richard Stauss's, "Ariadne auf Naxos" to more traditional soprano roles such as Donna Anna in Mozart's "Don Giovanni"  Possibly her most famous role was that of Manon in the Massenet opera of the same name.

She also endured family hardships. Her son, originally  thought to have severe mental retardation, was eventually diagnosed as autistic. Her daughter born deaf. My only experience with her personally was a brief moment in an elevator at Lincoln Center. She smiled so graciously and said hello. At the time, she was president of Lincoln Center Inc. Clearly, I was nobody important but she was known to make a special effort with everyone. She will be greatly missed.