La Julia Rhea
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La Julia Rhea (March 16, 1898 – July 5, 1992) was an American
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
tic
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...
.


Biography


Early life and career

Rhea was born and raised in
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...
and began singing publicly at the Hill Street Baptist Church of that city, where she was a member of the children's choir. In 1925, she went to Chicago and became a member of the R. Nathaniel Dett Club of Music and Allied Arts and attended and graduated from
Chicago Musical College Chicago Musical College is a division of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, United States. History Founding Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld Sr (1841–1923), founded the college in 1867 as the Chicag ...
. Her professional debut was at Chicago's Kimball Hall in 1929, and she continued to make regular concert performances across the United States as she studied operatic roles in a period that lasted more than two decades.


Notable appearances

After a performance of "O Don Fatale" from
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
's ''
Don Carlos ''Don Carlos'' is an 1867 five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the 1787 play '' Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...
'' for the Dett Club Scholarship Fund at Pittsburgh's Grace Presbyterian Church in 1927 , the columnist Sylvester Russell had this to say, "As a vocalist... Madam Rhea is a genuine contralto of wonderful range and power, hardly excelled in richness and as the star of the occasion she occupies a place among the greatest human voices produced." In the early 1930s, Rhea toured the country with
Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...
in the stage production of ''Rhapsody in Black'', and was for a time the feature soloist of the
Cecil Mack Cecil Mack (November 6, 1873 – August 1, 1944) was an American composer, lyricist and music publisher. Biography Born as Richard Cecil McPherson in Portsmouth, Virginia, he attended the Norfolk Mission College and Lincoln University in Pennsy ...
Choir. At a time when black performers found it difficult to appeal to a wider audience, Rhea was presented by her teacher Romano Romani to the executive staff of the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
where in 1934, she became the "first person of her race to be granted an audition at the famous opera house." Although she was "highly praised for her artistic presentation," the Met would wait until 1955 when Marian Anderson would become its first black star. After her performance on May 13, 1935 as the character Josephine in
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
's
H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...
, Rhea won over 6,000 votes from the audience and became the first black winner of an audition of the
Major Bowes Amateur Hour The ''Major Bowes Amateur Hour'' was an American radio talent show broadcast in the 1930s and 1940s, created and hosted by Edward Bowes (1874–1946). Selected performers from the program participated in touring vaudeville performances, under ...
, and toured with the group under the name Rea Parada. Her experience at the Met notwithstanding, Rhea became the first black performer to star in "the title role of a major opera company" when in Chicago on December 27, 1937 she appeared in
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...
's ''
Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...
'' with
William Franklin William Franklin (22 February 1730 – 17 November 1813) was an American-born attorney, soldier, politician, and colonial administrator. He was the acknowledged extra-marital son of Benjamin Franklin. William Franklin was the last colonial G ...
as Amonasro in a performance of the
Chicago Civic Opera The Civic Opera Company (1922–1931) was a Chicago company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in the Auditorium Theatre from 1922 to 1928, and three seasons at its own Civic Opera House from 1929 to 1931 before falling victim to financia ...
Company. In attendance for the performance was the drama critic for the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' Cecil Smith, who commented: "A musical event without parallel in grand opera in America took place at the
Civic Opera House The Civic Opera House, also called Lyric Opera House is an opera house located at 20 North Wacker Drive in Chicago. The Civic's main performance space, named for Ardis Krainik, seats 3,276, making it the second-largest opera auditorium in North ...
last night when two colored singers, La Julia Rhea and William Franklin, sang the Ethiopian roles of Aida and Amonasro in a special performance of ''Aida'' ... Both singers won a goodly success and were warmly applauded." The costume Rhea wore for that performance was a gift from her teacher and mentor, the internationally renowned opera star
Rosa Raisa Rosa Raisa (23 May 189328 September 1963) was a Polish-born and Italian-trained Russian and Jewish operatic dramatic soprano who became a naturalized American. She possessed a voice of remarkable power and was the creator of the title role of Pu ...
, who had herself worn it at her debut performance of ''Aida'' in 1914. Both Rhea and Franklin appeared in productions of the
National Negro Opera Company The National Negro Opera Company (1941–1962) was the most successful African-American opera company in the United States. Although often mistakenly called the first due to its enormous successes, other African American opera companies (such as t ...
(NNOC), as well as in operettas by
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
. The production of ''Aida'' in which Rhea made the inaugural performance of the National Negro Opera Company in 1941, was organized by the NNOC Guild as part of Pittsburgh's
National Association of Negro Musicians The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is one of the oldest organizations in the United States dedicated to the preservation, encouragement, and advocacy of all genres of the music of African-Americans. NANM had its beginning on May 3 ...
annual meeting.
Mary Cardwell Dawson Mary Lucinda Cardwell Dawson (1894–1962) was an American opera singer and voice teacher. She was the founding director of the National Negro Opera Company (NNOC). In 1961, Dawson was appointed to the National Music Committee by President John F ...
was the one who organized the event. In 1942, she appeared with Chicago Mayor
Edward J. Kelly Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876October 20, 1950) was an American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933, until April 15, 1947. Prior to being mayor of Chicago, Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sani ...
,
Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...
,
Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...
, Oscar G. Mayer, Sr. and other presenters at the
International Amphitheatre The International Amphitheatre was an indoor arena located in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1934 and was demolished in 1999. It was located on the west side of Halsted Street, at 42nd Street, on the city's south side, in the Canaryville neig ...
in Chicago to sell bonds during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
under the auspices of the Chicago Musical War Rally.


Later life

After she no longer gave public performances, Rhea continued her involvement in the world of opera by giving private lessons to young opera hopefuls at her home in
Blue Island, Illinois Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, south of Chicago Loop, Chicago's Loop. Blue Island is adjacent to the city of Chicago and shares its northern boundary with that city's Morgan Park, Chicago, Morgan Park neighborho ...
where she was known for her annual lawn parties that were attended by musicians from across the country. She also appeared from time to time over the public airwaves.


References


Further reading

* ''The Music of Black Americans: A History''.
Eileen Southern Eileen Jackson Southern (February 19, 1920 – October 13, 2002) was an American musicologist, researcher, author, and teacher. Southern's research focused on black American musical styles, musicians, and composers; she also published on early ...
. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. * ''African American Concert Singers Before 1950''. Darryl Glenn Nettles. McFarland; 2003 * ''Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, Volume 2''. Jack Salzman, David L. Smith,
Cornel West Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic, and public intellectual. West was an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election and is an ou ...
. Macmillan Library Reference, 1996 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhea, La Julia American operatic sopranos 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women opera singers African-American women opera singers 1898 births 1992 deaths Singers from Chicago People from Blue Island, Illinois Singers from Louisville, Kentucky Women musicians from Kentucky Classical musicians from Illinois