Biography:

Martina Arroyo (February 2, 1936 – October 13, 2026) was an American operatic soprano who had a major international opera career from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success.

Arroyo first rose to prominence in Europe, performing in the world premiere of Stockhausen’s Momente in 1962 and as a regular leading soprano at the Zurich Opera between 1963 and 1965. She was then one of the Metropolitan Opera‘s leading sopranos between 1965 and 1978. During those years at the Metropolitan Opera, she was also a regular presence at the world’s opera houses, performing on the stages of La Scala, Covent Garden, the Opéra National de Paris, the Teatro Colón, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Vienna State Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the San Francisco Opera. She is best known for her performances of the Italian spinto repertoire, and in particular, her portrayals of Verdi and Puccini heroines, but she also sppeared in world premieres in concert and opera throughout her career.

While Arroyo announced her retirement from performance in 1989,[1] she continued to perform professionally for the next five years in a decreased capacity. Her last opera performances were in 1991 when she sang the title role in Turandot at the Staatstheater Kassel, and created the role of Miranda in the world premiere of Leslie Adams’s Blake. She continued to sing recitals until as late as 1993, and in 1994 she sang in the world premiere of Carlo Franci [it]’s African Oratorio in South Africa. Her later life was devoted to teaching singing on the faculties of various universities in the United States and Europe. On December 8, 2013, Arroyo received a Kennedy Center Honor.[2]

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