An Oral History with George Shirley

On April 26th, 2022, tenor George Shirley sat down with OPERA America's President/CEO Marc A. Scorca for a conversation about opera and their life. One of America’s most versatile tenors and enlightened musicians, George Shirley remains in demand nationally and internationally as performer, teacher, and lecturer. He has won international acclaim for his performances with the Metropolitan Opera, and major opera houses around the world. Mr. Shirley received a Grammy award in 1968 for his role (Fernando) in the prize-winning RCA recording of Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. He has performed more than 80 operatic roles over the span of his 57-year career and was the first black tenor and second African-American male to sing leading roles with the Metropolitan Opera. In 2015, Mr. Shirley received the National medal of Arts from President Barack Obama. This interview was originally recorded on April 26th, 2022.  The Oral History Project is supported by the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation.  ................................................. ABOUT OPERA AMERICA OPERA America is the national service organization for opera and is dedicated to the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of the art form. Learn more at operaamerica.org