Musicians You Should Know: Camilla Williams

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Basic Facts

Born: October 18, 1919, Danville, Virginia
Died: January 29, 2012, Bloomington, Indiana
Type of Performer: Vocalist (soprano)
Genre: Opera, classical
Awards/Notable Achievements:
  1. First Black woman to win a contract with a major American opera company
  2. First Black person to perform in a lead role with the Vienna State Opera
  3. GRAMMY Hall of Fame Inductee (1976) for her recording of Gerswhin's Porgy & Bess
  4. First Black woman appointed to Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music (1977)

About Camilla Williams

Camilla Williams was born in 1919 in Virginia into a family of singers. She studied music education at what is now Virginia State University, graduated in 1941, and taught briefly before traveling to Philadelphia to study voice. In 1943, she won a scholarship and embarked on a national tour, which led to a mentorship with operatic soprano star Geraldine Farrar.  Farrar helped her land a recording contract with RCA Records. She made her debut in 1946 with the New York City Opera in Madama Butterfly, and she went on to perform with the Boston Lyric Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the Vienna State Opera (where she was the first African American to sing a leading role). In 1951, she won the role of Bess in the first complete recording of Gershwin's opera, which helped launch her international career. 

Williams was also active in the Civil Right Movement. Her husband was civil rights activist and attorney Charles Beaver, and he worked closely with leaders like Malcom X. In 1963, she sang the Star Spangled Banner before Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, famous "I Have A Dream" speech during the March on Washington. Throughout her career, she helped pave the way for other African American musicians, like Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price who also rose to fame around the same time. She continued to perform and tour until 1977, when she became the first African American appointed to the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. She retired in 1997 and passed away in 2012.

Listen

From a 1952 recital with Borislav Bazala on piano


"Summertime", from Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin



Further Reading

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