What is Beverly Sills?
[[File:Beverly Sills by Van Vechten.jpg|thumb|Beverly Sills]] '''Beverly Sills''' (May 25, 1929 – July 2, 2007) is an American operatic [[soprano]] particularly associated with Italian [[bel canto]] and French [[opera]]s. ==Life and Career== Born '''Belle Silverman''', in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], as a [[child prodigy]], she began singing on radio shows at the age of three and began formal vocal studies at the age of seven with Estelle Liebling. She began her professional career in 1947 with touring companies and later joined the New York City Opera in 1955. After singing a wide variety of roles, she obtained her first great success with Douglas Moore's ''The Ballad of Baby Doe'' in 1959, and finally achieved international recognition in 1966, with the role of Cleopatra in [[Handel]]'s ''[[Giulio Cesare]]''. This was followed by the much acclaimed [[Donizetti]]'s Tudor trilogy ''[[Anna Bolena]]'', ''[[Maria Stuarda]]'' and ''[[Roberto Devereux]]''. This led to her being invited to sing at the [[Vienna]] State Opera (1968), [[La Scala]] in Milan (1969), the [[Royal Opera House]] in [[London]] (1970), and finally at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in New York in 1975. Other notable roles have included; ''[[Vincenzo Bellini|I Capuleti e Montecchi]]'', ''[[I puritani]]'', ''[[Lucia di Lammermoor]]'', ''[[La traviata]]'', ''[[Les contes d'Hoffmann]]'', ''[[Manon]]'' and ''[[Jules Massenet|Thais]]''. She retired from the stage in 1980, and took on the direction of the New York City Opera until 1989. Sills died in [[New York City]], of [[lung cancer]]. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sills, Beverly}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:2007 deaths]] [[Category:American sopranos]] [[Category:Singers from New York City]] [[Category:American opera singers]] {{music-stub}}