Biography
Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is a renowned American soprano celebrated for her work in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and major public events. She has received the National Medal of Arts and earned 18 Grammy nominations, winning five. In June 2023, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Fleming as one of five artists honored at the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors, which she received in December 2023. Among her other distinguished awards are the Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur from France, Germany's Cross of the Order of Merit, Sweden's Polar Music Prize, and honorary membership in the Royal Academy of Music in England. Unlike many opera artists, Fleming has gained recognition beyond the classical music realm. In May 2023, she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health by the World Health Organization. On April 9, 2024, Penguin Random House published her anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, a collection of essays on the health benefits of music and the arts by leading scientists, practitioners, educators, arts leaders, musicians, artists, and writers.
Fleming possesses a full lyric soprano voice and has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, in addition to English. A major aspect of her career includes performing new music, featuring world premieres of operas, concert works, and songs composed specifically for her by André Previn, Caroline Shaw, Kevin Puts, Anders Hillborg, Nico Muhly, Henri Dutilleux, Brad Mehldau, and Wayne Shorter. In 2008, she became the first woman in the Metropolitan Opera’s 125-year history to solo headline a season opening night gala. Sir Georg Solti praised her, stating, "In my long life, I have met maybe two sopranos with this quality of singing; the other was Renata Tebaldi."
Beyond opera, Fleming has performed and recorded lieder, chansons, jazz, musical theater, and indie rock, collaborating with artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Lou Reed, Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, and John Prine. She earned a Tony Award nomination in 2018 and has acted on Broadway as well as in theatrical productions in London, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Additionally, Fleming has recorded songs for the soundtracks of several major films, including two that won the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. She has made numerous television appearances and is the only classical singer to have performed the U.S. National Anthem at the Super Bowl.
Fleming is also an active public speaker on the influence of music on health and neuroscience, receiving a Research!America Award for her advocacy.
Born on February 14, 1959, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Fleming is the daughter of two music teachers and was raised in Churchville, New York. Her great-grandparents were born in Prague before emigrating to the United States. She attended Churchville-Chili High School.
