Here’s the lowdown on Latonia Moore, the American operatic soprano who has already scooped three Grammy Awards in a stellar career.
Who is Latonia Moore?
Latonia Moore is an operatic soprano from Texas, USA, known for her stellar performances in the operas of Puccini, Verdi and others. She has won no fewer than three Grammy Awards.
What are her most famous roles?
As well as her acclaimed lead roles in Verdi’s Aida and Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, Moore is also known for her work in the operas of American trumpeter, pianist and composer Terence Blanchard. Indeed, she has won two of her three Grammy Awards for her roles in Blanchard operas.
How old is Latonia Moore?
She was born in 1979.
Where is Latonia Moore from?
Moore was born in Houston, Texas, USA. During her childhood, she was surrounded by music. At the age of eight, she started singing in the church choir at the New Sunrise Baptist Church, where her grandfather served as pastor. She also sang in the Texas All-State Choir.
She studied at the University of North Texas, concentrating at first on gospel and jazz music. But then one of her teachers persuaded her to study classical music, advice which proved transformative. She later studied at the Houston Ebony Opera and at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
What has she won Grammy Awards for?
Latonia Moore has been part of three Grammy Award-winning recordings for Best Opera Recording. In 2021, she was part of the cast that won the award for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of George Gershwin‘s Porgy and Bess, also featuring soprano Angel Blue among others. She played Serena in that production.
She was among the Grammys again in 2023, starring in the Met’s production of Terence Blanchard’s opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones. That production, again, took the Best Opera Recording award. And the following year, 2024, the same forces took the same award: and Latonia Moore was among the stars, in the Met’s production of the Blanchard opera Champion.
Latonia Moore: a Met debut to remember
In 2012, the soprano made her debut with the New York Metropolitan Opera (the Met). She was a late replacement for Violeta Urmana as Aida, in Verdi’s opera Aida. Since then, Moore has performed Aida more than 100 times.
You can also hear her beautiful soprano voice on a recording of Mahler‘s Symphony No 2 for Deutsche Grammophon, with the Vienna Philharmonic (one of the world’s best orchestras) and conductor Gilbert Kaplan.
What other roles has she sung?
Moore was at the centre of another memorable performance in January 2016, when she sang in Puccini’s Tosca for the newly revived New York City Opera at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater. More Puccini followed later that year: singing the lead role, Cio-Cio San, in San Diego Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly. She was back with Tosca in 2018, singing the title role in Opera Australia’s production.
And what’s she performing at the 2024 BBC Proms?
Latonia Moore comes to the 2024 BBC Proms with a performance of Verdi’s Requiem on Tuesday 23 July at the Royal Albert Hall (Prom 6). She’s joined by mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, tenor SeokJong Baek, and bass Solomon Howard. There’s accomapniment from the BBC National Chorus of Wales, Crouch End Festival Chorus, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and their conductor Ryan Bancroft. The concert will also be screened on BBC Four at a date to be confirmed.
- Browse all our 2024 BBC Proms content: interviews, profiles and more