|
 Mary
Costa, internationally acclaimed operatic soprano, was born in
Knoxville, Tennessee in 1930. In her early teens, Mary’s family
relocated to Los Angeles, California, where she completed her high
school education and entered the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music to
study with the famed maestro, Gaston Usigli. Between 1948 and 1951, she
appeared with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy on the Bergen radio
show. She also sang with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in concerts at
UCLA, and made numerous commercials for Lux Radio Theatre.
In 1952, Ms. Costa was personally chosen
by Walt Disney to be the speaking and singing voice of Princess Aurora
in the Disney film, “Sleeping Beauty.” The Disney classic was seven
years in production, during which period Ms. Costa became the female
spokesperson, serving alongside William Lundigan and Jack Benny, on
CBS’s duo, “Climax,” and “The Shower of Stars.”
In 1958, Mary was called upon to
substitute for Elisabeth Schwarzkopf at a gala concert in the Hollywood
Bowl, conducted by Carmen Dragon. Because of her glowing reviews from
that performance, she was invited to sing the lead in her first fully
staged operatic production, “The Bartered Bride,” produced by the
renowned German producer, Carl Ebert, for the Los Angeles Guild Opera.
Ebert later requested that Mary appear at the Glyndebourne Festival,
where she made a stunning debut. Following these triumphs, Leonard
Bernstein deemed her, “perfect,” as the leading lady for his “Candide,”
which had both a United States tour and a London season. Ms. Costa
received great acclaim from critics and public alike, both in the United
States and Europe.
Her appearance at the Vancouver Festival
in 1959 brought her to the attention of eastern critics, who dubbed her
the “new soprano star on the horizon.” The San Francisco Opera then
engaged Ms. Costa for several operas, and she immediately became a
favorite leading soprano with the company. Impresario Sol Hurok signed
Mary to an exclusive contract, and remained her manager until his
death.
In 1961, Ms. Costa recorded “La Boheme”
for RCA Victor from the stage of the Rome Opera House. This recording
was re-mastered and re-released in 1998, and was awarded the RCA Victor
Red Seal CD release of the month. The original recording has been used
in music schools across the country as an example of a high standard of
artistic singing. Later in 1961, Mary sang her first “Manon” in
Cincinnati, followed by an appearance at the Royal Opera House in
London’s Covent Garden, where she sang in
“La Traviata,” the opera in which she
made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera on January 6, 1964.
Ms. Costa’s Metropolitan Opera debut
received one of the season’s greatest ovations and engendered
enthusiastic praise from critics. It is considered one of the most
outstanding debuts of an American singer in the history of the company.
Mary performed a number of leading roles with the Metropolitan in
succeeding seasons, including Massenet’s “Manon,” her favorite role.
She was subsequently chosen by Samuel Barber and Gian-Carlo Menotti to
recreate the title role of “Vanessa” in a new production of the Barber
opera. Jacqueline Kennedy attended the opening night gala production
and came backstage to congratulate Mary on the success of the
performance.
 One
of Ms. Costa’s favorite remembrances was being chosen by Igor Stravinsky
for the role of Anne Trulove in the San Francisco Opera’s production of
the new work, “The Rake’s Progress,” which, prior to its opening,
included an unforgettable three weeks of private vocal coaching in the
Stravinsky home. Also considered a special occasion was the invitation
to perform in the world premier of Norman Dello Joio’s “Blood Moon,” and
the Western Hemisphere production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Among Ms. Costa’s fondest and most
treasured memories, was receiving a personal request from Jacqueline
Kennedy to sing for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Service. The President
and Mrs. Kennedy had been following the career of the diva for many
years, and Ms. Costa had long been an admirer of President and Mrs.
Kennedy. The service was telecast throughout the world from the Sports
Arena in Los Angeles.
In 1964, Ms. Costa was invited to London
to film the BBC’s highly acclaimed television productions of “La
Traviata,” “Faust,” and “The Merry Widow.” English critics acclaimed
her “the definitive Merry Widow,” and the productions have since had
several annual re-broadcasts throughout the United Kingdom.
Mary’s choice to sing at the Bolshoi
Opera in 1970, during her first tour of Russia, was
“La Traviata” and the Russians loved
her. She made such an impact on the audiences that she was asked to
extend her two-week trip to thirteen weeks in order for audiences all
over Russia to hear her. This was an unprecedented triumph for an
American singer.
In 1971 at the request of Leonard
Bernstein, Ms. Costa sang the lead in a revival of “Candide,” which
opened the opera house at the new Kennedy Center in Washington. She
performed the role for an extended run. In 1972, Ms. Costa returned to
film, and flew to Vienna to star in Andrew L. Stone’s feature film, “The
Great Waltz,” singing the role of the wife of Waltz King, Johann
Strauss, Jr., for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. Her
personal flair and natural affinity for Viennese music resulted in many
highly acclaimed Viennese concerts across the USA. In 1973, she was
awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Hardin-Simmons University.
Prior to his resignation in 1974,
President Nixon invited Ms. Costa to the White House for a command
performance at a State Reception for the Prime Minister of Singapore.
Ms. Costa impressed television audiences
throughout her career with guest appearances on many shows, such as Bing
Crosby’s Christmas Show on NBC-TV. She also appeared on Frank Sinatra’s
“Woman of the Year” Timex Special for NBC, where she was honored, along
with Juliet Prowse, Lena Horne, and Eleanor Roosevelt, as women of the
year. In 1972, Sammy Davis Jr. asked Mary to appear on his first NBC
Follies. Among his other guests that evening, were Mickey Rooney and
Ernest Borgnine. Mary performed a blues selection with Sammy, backed up
by one of her favorite performers, Charlie Parker. Her other television
credits include appearances on the Academy Awards, and the shows of Jim
Nabors, Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Della Reese, Joey Bishop, George
Burns, Don Knotts, Diana Shore, and many others.
Another highlight of Ms. Costa’s life was
in 1975, when she joined the Metropolitan Opera on its historic tour of
Japan, singing “Musetta” in “La Boheme,” delighting Japanese audiences.
She opened the season at the Metropolitan in 1977, receiving high
critical acclaim.
During the beginning of her operatic
career, Mary studied voice with the great Metropolitan Opera tenor,
Mario Chamlee. Fritz Zweig, famed assistant conductor to the great
composer, Richard Strauss helped Mary prepare her recital, concert and
operatic
repertoire, which included forty-four
opera roles.
 In1984,
Ms. Costa took a sabbatical from traveling and performing in
order to care for her ninety-year old mother, who had begun to need more
extensive attention. During this period, Mary became involved with the
Palm Beach Opera, donating her time to help judge opera auditions and
speak at various local charity benefits on their behalf. She also
served the opera in the capacity of a consultant and advisor to aspiring
singers.In 1993, after the passing of her beloved mother at 101
years of age, Mary returned to her hometown of Knoxville, TN, to
establish a permanent residence. She immediately became affiliated with
the efforts of Childhelp USA, and subsequently was asked to become one
of their National Ambassadors, an honor that she graciously accepted.
In November of 1993, Mary was chosen as
one of the “Women in the Performing Arts,” an award presented to her in
Washington, DC at the opening of the National Museum of Women in the
Arts. Ms. Costa was also given a
position as an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Board of the Knoxville
Opera Company. In this capacity she has, along with other
responsibilities, served as an advisor to the board and a mentor to
young performers at the University Of Tennessee School of Music.
In the latter part of
the 1990’s, Mary divided her time between personal appearances for the
Disney Corporation, and a demanding schedule of motivational speaking
engagements. In 1998, Tennessee
Governor Don Sundquist presented the Tennessee Achievement Award to her
for her contribution to the arts and her constant inspiration to young
people throughout the country. And in the same year, she was asked by
Governor Sundquist to be one of the individuals to choose the music for
a Classical CD that is presented to every child born in the state of
Tennessee. In
1999, she was the recipient of the coveted Disney Legends Award. Much
of her motivational enthusiasm was, and still continues to be, directed
toward primary, secondary and college level students. The Disney
Corporation has afforded her the opportunity to raise funds on behalf of
various charities, including Childhelp USA, Read Across America, and
Signal Centers of Chattanooga, all of which benefit children in need.
 In 2000, Ms. Costa was selected as the Tennessee Woman of
Distinction by the American Lung Association. And in April of 2001, she
was one of 38 honorees chosen by the Metropolitan Opera Guild for
Distinguished Verdi Performances of the Twentieth and Twenty-first
centuries.
In August 2002, Ms. Costa was recognized, along with a
panel of other Disney legends and performers, when the newly-digitized
Disney classic, "Sleeping Beauty," opened to a large crowd of
enthusiastic fans at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. The
distinguished panel was interviewed by an ABC affiliate spokesperson,
who asked questions of the panel members about the making of the
original movie, and their personal experiences with Walt Disney. Rhett
Wickham, a critic who covered the event, wrote, "[The panel] delivered
some very articulate and often moving observations on the film. Chief
among these was Mary Costa, whose true grace makes it seem for all the
world like she has some angelic key-light that follows her."
On February 5, 2003, Ms. Costa was nominated by President
George W. Bush to serve on the National Council on the Arts from 2003
through 2006. According to a spokesperson for the National Endowment
for the Arts, “The National Council on the Arts advises the Chairman of
the National Endowment for the Arts on agency policies and programs and
also reviews funding guidelines and applications for grants. The
Council members are chosen for their widely recognized knowledge of the
arts, their expertise or profound interest in the arts, and their record
of distinguished service or achievement in the arts.” Ms. Costa’s
nomination was confirmed by the U. S. Senate and she was sworn in by
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in April of 2003. In speaking
about her new responsibilities with the National Council on the Arts,
Mary commented, “Throughout the years, I have had many mentors who
helped further my career. Without their assistance, I would not have
been able to accomplish numerous goals that were important in my life. I
now have the opportunity through the National Council to be a mentor to
deserving artists who are seeking to achieve their destiny. This is a
wonderful chance for me to return to others a portion of that which was
so generously given to me.”
In 2004, John Mauceri, noted conductor of
the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, extended a personal invitation to Mary to
perform at the Hollywood Bowl in a musical extravaganza paying tribute
to a truly Great American icon, the inimitable Walt Disney. Maestro
Mauceri requested that Mary present a narration taken from the 1942
animated film, “Bambi,” with background accompaniment of the Edward
Plumb orchestral suite provided by the Bowl Orchestra. The concert was
performed for sell-out audiences on both August 20 and 21st,
and delighted cheering fans of all ages.
On November 2, 2007, Ms. Costa was
inducted into the Knoxville Opera Hall of Fame. She launched the
inaugural Knoxville Opera season in 1978, starring as Violetta in La
Traviata. The following season she appeared in the title role of The
Merry Widow. Ms. Costa has remained a crucial advocate for Knoxville
Opera at both the state and national level.
In December of 2007, Ms. Costa received
an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts Degree from Carson-Newman College, a
liberal arts college located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Ms. Costa is
the first individual in the college's 157 year history to have been
awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts.
|
