Eva Jessye (January 20, 1895 – February 21, 1992) was an American conductor who was the first black woman to receive international distinction as a professional choral conductor. She is notable as a choral conductor during the Harlem Renaissance. She created her own choral group which featured widely in performance. Her professional influence extended for decades through her teaching as well. Her accomplishments in this field were historic for any woman. She collaborated in productions of groundbreaking works, directing her choir and working with Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein on Four Saints in Three Acts (1933), and serving as musical director with George Gershwin on his innovative opera Porgy and Bess (1935).
Eva Jessye was the first black woman to receive international distinction as a professional choral conductor
EvaJessye (January 20, 1895 – February 21, 1992) was an American conductor who was the first black woman to receive international distinction as a professional...
Jessye is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: EvaJessye (1895–1992), American conductor Jessye Norman (1945–2019),...
in form, content, and for its all-black cast, with singers directed by EvaJessye, a prominent black choral director, and supported by her choir. Thomson...
in Carnegie Hall, in the fall of 1935. He chose as his choral director EvaJessye, who also directed her own renowned choir. The world premiere performance...
is one of a group—including Harry T. Burleigh, R. Nathaniel Dett, and EvaJessye—who had great success performing African-American spirituals. Francis...
Stein's Four Saints in Three Acts. In both productions the choral conductor EvaJessye was part of the creative team. Her choir was featured in Four Saints....
of a young, black Gospel-singing girl from the South (loosely based on EvaJessye) who falls for a white Juilliard concert pianist (loosely based on George...
McKissick (substituting for arrested CORE director James Farmer). The EvaJessye Choir sang, and Rabbi Uri Miller (president of the Synagogue Council of...
Harlem Renaissance, was born in Kansas City, Kansas. Choral conductor EvaJessye, a contemporary of Holt, was born in Lawrence. In the following years...
Elizabeth van Ebbenhorst Tengbergen (1885–1980) María Grever (1885–1951) EvaJessye (1885–1992) Mana Zucca (1885–1981) Dora Pejačević (1885–1923) Frieda Schmitt-Lermann...
The following lists note recordings in opera and recital of soprano Jessye Norman. Norman sang many roles in audio recordings of complete operas: Bartók...
New York City, where she first performed as a soloist with the EvaJessye Choir. Jessye was a groundbreaking collaborator with Virgil Thomson and George...
as the Angel of Arnhem during the Battle of Arnhem, traffic collision. EvaJessye, 97, American conductor. Jane Pickens Langley, 84, American singer, heart...
from Howard in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in Music, he joined the EvaJessye Choir. Shortly thereafter he sang the lead role in a concert production...
Ruby Green at the piano. In the 1930s, she sang with the EvaJessye Choir, and through Jessye, became acquainted with Ira Gershwin and his wife. Greene...
said that Dunham never fully forgave her. She also performed with the EvaJessye Choir. King was known for the timbre of her contralto voice. She became...
Negro Musicians; Kansas City Dave Hope (born 1949), musician; Topeka EvaJessye (1895–1992), choral conductor; Coffeyville Jennifer Knapp (born 1974)...
Broadway the previous year, was producer; Robert Ross directed, assisted by EvaJessye, with Vinton Freedley credited for "personal supervision" of the show...
Global Information
