RENÉE FLEMING
Soprano

American soprano Renée Fleming continues to thrill audiences with a voice described as the “gold standard of soprano sound,” a meticulous and dazzling gift for characterization, and a rare stylistic versatility.  Her superb artistry has inspired her instatement as a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government (2005), as well as the “Renée Fleming Iris” (2004) and master chef Daniel Boulud’s dessert “La Diva Renée” (1999).

After spending the summer of 2006 in Japan with the Metropolitan Opera, at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg (RUS), the Aspen Music Festival, the Ravinia Festival and at Wolf Trap, Ms. Fleming appears in Eugene Onegin with the Metropolitan Opera, La Traviata (to be taped for DVD) with the Los Angeles Opera, Arabella with the Zürich Opera, and concert performances of Thaïs at the Royal Opera House, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and at Châtelet, Paris.  She is a soloist for the opening night of the Boston Symphony and for the Toscanini concert combining the New York Philharmonic and the Symphonica Toscanini at Avery Fisher Hall.  She also sings at galas for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Vancouver (BC) Symphony and the Calgary Opera.  Other engagements in North America include performances with the New World Symphony (Miami) and the Eugene Symphony, Christmas concerts with the Hartford Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, and a performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Lincoln Center.  Ms. Fleming’s concert schedule takes her abroad for performances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the China Philharmonic, the Shanghai Opera Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the Orchestra of the National Academy of Saint Cecilia; an engagement at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna; an orchestra tour to Mannheim, Berlin, Lucerne, Munich, and London with Andreas Delfs; and recitals with Hartmut Hoell in Milan, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Taipei.  Additional high points of her season will be performances at the Nobel Prize and Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Stockholm and Oslo.

A two-time Grammy winner, Ms. Fleming has been an exclusive recording artist with Decca since 1995.  Her new CD, Homage – The Age Of The Diva, comprising rarely-heard works associated with great singers of the past, releases in Fall 2006.  The most recent of her numerous recordings include the Grammy-nominated CD of Strauss’ Daphne conducted by Semyon Bychkov (2005), “Sacred Songs” (2005), the jazz recording “Haunted Heart” (2005), “Renée Fleming: Handel” (2004), and the movie soundtrack to “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003).   Her work has earned nine Grammy nominations as well as the Classical Brits Awards in 2004 for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and in 2003 for Female Artist of the Year.  That same year, she received Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music and an honorary doctorate from The Juilliard School (where she was also commencement speaker).  Ms. Fleming’s most recent film appearances are in Phil Grabsky’s 2006 documentary, “In Search of Mozart,” celebrating the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth, and in the 2006-07 release of the major motion picture, “Margaret.”                                                                                                       
An advocate for literacy and an avid reader, Renée Fleming has been featured in promotional campaigns for the Association of American Publishers (Get Caught Reading), and the Magazine Publishers of America’s READ poster campaign for the American Library Association.  She was honored by The New York Public Library as a “Library Lion.”  Her book, “The Inner Voice,” was published by Viking Penguin in 2004, and released in paperback by Penguin the following year.  An intimate account of her career and creative process, the book is also published in France by Fayard Editions, in the United Kingdom by Virgin Books, by Henschel Verlag in Germany, and Shunjusha in Japan.
                                                      
Among her earlier awards are the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres fromthe French government (2002); the 2000 Gift of Music Award from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, honoring individuals who have made a significant contribution to the world of classical music; and the first Solti Prize of l'Académie du Disque Lyrique for her outstanding recording artistry (1996).  A passionate champion of creativity in the arts, Ms. Fleming is both a proponent of new music – having had many works written for her – and an advocate for the revival of overlooked masterpieces.  She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Hall Corporation and of the Advisory Board of the White Nights Foundation of America.

In addition to her work on the stage and in recordings, Renée Fleming has represented Rolex timepieces in print advertising since 2001, and has served as the inspiration for the main character in novelist Ann Patchett’s best-selling book, Bel Canto (2002).  In 2005, her prominence led to honors from the Lotos Club, Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, and in the cover story of Smithsonian Magazine’s special anniversary issue, spotlighting “35 Who Made a Difference.”  In 2001, she was added Mr. Blackwell’s best dressed list, and People magazine named her one of its “25 Most Intriguing People of 2000.”  Couturier Gianfranco Ferré has designed Ms. Fleming’s stage gowns since 1998, and Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood, Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta have created gowns for her as well.

Renée Fleming studied at The Juilliard School and holds degrees from the State University of New York at Potsdam and the Eastman School of Music. In early years, she was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany.  A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions, she was also the recipient of a Richard Tucker Award, George London Prize, and the Grand Prix at the International Singing Competition in Belgium.