[Denyce Graves (Devon Cass)]
Kennedy Center Examiner
“WASHINGTON, D. C.-Opera Superstar and Washington, D. C. native Denyce Graves will be presented in a special recital at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 7:30 P. M. in the Terrace Theater. Themed: 'A Tribute to the Grace Bumbry Concert,' this special recital commemorates the historic White House recital given by legendary mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry during the Kennedy administration in 1962. Praised by The Washington Post as one who 'sings with freedom and passion in a voice that seems to get only richer and more lustrous,' Ms. Graves honors Bumbry in a performance that references her historic concert. Featured is Duparc's L'invitation au Voyage, a favorite work of Mrs. Kennedy, who was said to have sung along into the President's ear in harmony with Grace Bumbry.”
“This program is a part of the special series of events entitled The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration celebrating the presidency of one of our nation’s most beloved leaders, for which the center serves as a living memorial. To purchase tickets, phone (202) 467-4600 or visit http://www.kennedy-center.org.
A Conversation With Opera Superstar Denyce Graves
Patrick D. McCoy, The African American Voice in Classical Music recently was honored to interview Ms. Graves live on BlogTalk Radio January 12, 2011. Below is an excerpt:
MR. McCOY - Good Morning Ms. Graves
MS. GRAVES - Good Morning, I am here Mr. McCoy. How are you?
MR. McCOY - I am well, thank you so much! It is an honor to share this time with you this morning.
MS. GRAVES - Well, I’m pleased to be here. I have been looking forward to this event for a while so I am pleased to be a part. Thank you for having me.
MR. McCOY - Thank you so much! So how does Denyce Graves start her day?
MS. GRAVES - (jubilant laughter) It usually starts about 4:30 (A.M.) every day. My husband is a transplant surgeon and he has to leave quite early to get to the hospital. So, when he’s up, that’s my moment to go downstairs and get on the treadmill before having to wake up my daughter at about 6:00 (A. M.) to get her ready for school because she has to be at school at 8:00 (A. M.) and it takes a lot of time getting her up, getting her up means that she actually starts to move at 6:35 (A. M.) and then you know, its making breakfast and doing all those things and I enjoy doing that. And then once I get back from doing that, I usually have a rehearsal of some sort you know as I prepare for the engagements that are in front of me and running errands, depending on what’s going on in the calendar of that day because I have one of these calendars that no two days are the same, so everyday something different is going on. And right now I really have my mind focused on this concert that I have coming up at The Kennedy Center on February 1st. So my attention is sort of turned in that direction, even though I leave town tomorrow and go to Florida for a few days, then I’m back, my daughter has a piano recital, and then I’m off to Korea, and then I'm back two or three days before that concert, so my time is now to focus on the concert.
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