Kathleen Battle Birthday & Fun Facts

Kathleen Battle Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Kathleen Deanna Battle

Place Of Birth

Ohio, USA

Age

75 years old

Birth Date

August 13 1948

Kathleen Battle Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Operatic Soprano

Education & Qualifications

Portsmouth High School

Net Worth

$4,000,000

Parents

Grady Battle, Ollie Battle

On August 13, 1948, in Portsmouth, Ohio, USA, Kathleen Deanna Battle was born.

Kathleen Battle is an operatic soprano from America who is noted for her remarkable vocal range and tone. Initially, while performing with prestigious major orchestras in the early and middle of the ’70s, she became famous as a concert repertoire.

In 1975, Kathleen Battle made her operatic debut. Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, Battle broadened her range by adding coloratura soprano and lyric soprano roles to her repertoire. She eventually left the Metropolitan Opera. Later, Kathleen Battle concentrated on recording and performing live. In November 2016, Battle gave a spiritual concert at the Metropolitan Opera House after a 22-year-long break.

What is Kathleen Battle’s net worth?

The extraordinarily gifted Kathleen Deanna Battle, from Portsmouth, Ohio, who first gained recognition for her work in the concert repertoire through appearances with major orchestras in the early and middle ’70s, is estimated to have a net worth of $4 million.

Kathleen Battle earned this net worth primarily through performing at major orchestras and working with the concert repertoire.

How much does Kathleen Battle earn per year?

The exact annual earnings of Kathleen Deanna Battle are not known.

How tall is Kathleen Battle?

Kathleen Deanna Battle, the lyric soprano from Portsmouth, Ohio, who came to fame after performing in major orchestras around the ’70s, stands at the height of 5 ft 3 in (160 cm).

How old is Kathleen Battle?

Kathleen Deanna Battle from Portsmouth, Ohio, celebrates her birthday on August 13 every year, and as of 2022, Kathleen Battle is 74 years old.

Kathleen Battle was the youngest of seven siblings and was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, in the United States.

While her father worked as a steelworker, her mother used to perform in the church choir at an African Methodist Episcopal church. She was also Battle’s mentor and music instructor. While she went to Portsmouth High School, she was trained in music by Charles P. (Phil) Varney.

After this, to study voice with Franklin Bens and work with Italo Tajo, Kathleen Battle received a scholarship to attend the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Kathleen Battle chose music education as her major and earned a master’s in the field. She started her career as a music teacher in 1971 at a Cincinnati public school serving inner-city students. She continued her private voice lessons while instructing music to students in grades five and six. Later, Kathleen Battle went to New York to study singing under Daniel Ferro.

Most of the information available to the public about the early life of Kathleen Battle is related to her music, since she was always dedicated to following it in her life.

Who is Kathleen Battle dating?

Unfortunately, there is no information about any relationships with Kathleen Battle.

Best Known For…

The beginning of Kathleen Battle’s professional career came in July 1972, when she performed in Italy.

Throughout the ensuing few years, Kathleen Battle, with her distinctive vocal range, would continue to play in many major orchestras in Los Angeles, New York, and Cleveland. In 1973, Kathleen Battle received funding for her music career from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund.

The beginning of Kathleen Battle and James Levine’s friendship and solid professional relationship, which would remain for 20 years, led to several recordings and appearances in recitals and concerts, including engagements at Carnegie Hall, Ravinia, and Salzburg. In 1975, Kathleen Battle’s operatic debut with the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit was in Rossini’s ‘The Barber Of Seville’ as Rosina. Her debut at the New York City Opera was the next year, for Mozart’s ‘The Marriage Of Figaro’ as Susanna. She also made her debut in 1977 at the Metropolitan Opera, playing the Shepherd in ‘Wagner’s Tannhäuser’ and at the San Francisco Opera as Oscar in Verdi’s ‘Un Ballo In Maschera’.

The Portsmouth, Ohio aboriginal Kathleen Battle, with her distinctive vocal range, gave performances in significant orchestras, operas, chorals, and recitals while working during the ’80s. Kathleen Battle kept traveling the world for concerts due to her profession. Kathleen Battle debuted with the Zürich Opera in 1980 in the role of Adina in Donizetti’s ‘L’elisir d’amore’. In 1982, Kathleen Battle performed on the Cos fan Tutte concert stage at the Salzburg Festival. After three days, she appeared in one of the Mozart Matinee performances. In 1985, Herbert von Karajan conducted Kathleen Battle at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican, for Mozart’s Coronation Mass, performing as the lyric soprano soloist. In the same season, she made her debut at the Royal Opera, performing ‘Ariadne Auf Naxos’ as Zerbinetta. In 1987, Karajan requested the battle play ‘Voices Of Spring’ by Johann Strauss at the Vienna New Year’s Day concert.

In the ’80s, Kathleen Battle established herself as a leading opera singer at the Metropolitan Opera, singing in more than 150 productions of different operas, including the Met’s debut of Handel’s ‘Giulio Cesare’. In addition to the San Francisco Opera, Kathleen Battle has performed at the English National Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Vienna State Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

For her records called ‘Salzburg Recital’ (1987), ‘Ariadne Auf Naxos’ (1988), and ‘Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart’ (1986), she was honoured with three Grammy Awards during this period in 1987. She was honoured with receiving the Laurence Olivier Award in 1985 for her theatrical performance in ‘Ariadne Auf Naxos’ as Zerbinetta at the Royal Opera House in London. In the years after her debut, the reviews of Battle’s performances were hardly ever changed. Time Magazine named Kathleen Battle the best lyric soprano in the world in 1985.

In 1990, lyric sopranos Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle sang spirituals at Carnegie Hall under the direction of James Levine. She performed at the Hollywood Bowl that year with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and went back to Covent Garden to perform ‘Norina In Don Pasquale’. She also served in many solo recitals in California.

Emmy Award winner Kathleen Battle appeared on the operatic stage in many Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti operas. She appeared in many performances at the Metropolitan Opera between 1990 - 1993, including ‘Rosina In The Barber Of Seville’ (1990), ‘Adina In L’elisir d’amore’ (1991, 1992, and the Japan Tour Met’s 1993), and as Pamina in ‘The Magic Flute’ (1991 and 1993).

The relationship between Kathleen Battle and the management of the Metropolitan Opera became increasingly strained during those years, even though she delivered critically acclaimed performances there in the early ’90s. Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, Kathleen Battle broadened her range to include the lyric soprano and the coloratura soprano before being abruptly let go from the Metropolitan Opera in 1994. She spent a lot of time in the studio and on the concert stage, performing worldwide for the rest of the decade.

What awards has Kathleen Battle won?

Throughout her life, operatic soprano Kathleen Deanna Battle has garnered a great deal of recognition and a lot of awards.

They include the 1987 Salzburg Recital Grammy For Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance; the 1986 Grammy For Best Classical Vocal, Soloist Performance for ‘Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart’ and the 1986 Grammy for Best Opera Recording for Richard Strauss’ ‘Ariadne Auf Naxos’. The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a New Opera Production went to Kathleen Battle in 1985 for her work as Zerbinetta in the Royal Opera in London’s production of ‘Ariadne Auf Naxos’.

When Kathleen Battle performed at Carnegie Hall in 1992, she won her fourth Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance (Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Strauss and more). In addition, Kathleen Battle received the 1992 Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and the 1992 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Classical Music/Dance Programming - Performance for the Metropolitan Opera Silver Anniversary Gala. Her 1993 recording of Handel’s Semele won her the fifth Grammy for Best Opera Recording. In 1993, she received the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award.

There are six honorary doctorates that lyric soprano Kathleen Battle has received from American universities. The University of Cincinnati, Westminster Choir College, Ohio University, Xavier University, Amherst College, and Seton Hall University are a few of them. Additionally, in 1999, Kathleen Battle received the NAACP Hall of Fame Award.

• On April 16, 2008, during her papal visit to the White House, Kathleen Battle of Portsmouth, Ohio, gave a rendition of the Lord’s Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI. She has now performed for the pope twice as of 2022. As the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Kathleen Battle performed for Pope John Paul II for the first time in 1985.
• Kathleen Deanna Battle was born to Grady Battle and Ollie Layne Battle in Portsmouth, Ohio.

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