When Denyce Graves gave her first major stage recital at the Kennedy Center, she was in her 20s and already something of an opera sensation. But — as Doug Wheeler, who presented her for that performance as president of Washington Performing Arts, recalled — she never forgot who had put her on the path to fame.
“When I first met her, someone — I think it was her kindergarten teacher — was in the audience,” Wheeler said. “Wherever she goes, she reaches back and touches the people that helped her achieve the success she has. … She’s attained great stardom, but she never forgets where she came from.”
Graves, superstar mezzo-soprano and household name among opera fans around the globe, represents the epitome of homegrown talent. Born and raised in Southwest D.C., she got her start in musical education at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where she graduated in 1981.
Inspired by a recording of the groundbreaking Black opera star Leontyne Price, Graves knew by the age of 13 that she wanted to pursue a career in opera.
After leaving the District to study at the Oberlin Conservatory and then the New England Conservatory, Graves made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1995, singing the title role in “Carmen.” The part would become one of her signature roles, along with Dalila in “Samson et Dalila.”
“The number of vocalists on the scene in the United States now who can fill a concert hall with people who want to see them? You can count them on one hand,” Wheeler said. “Denyce Graves is one of those artists.”
Graves has performed all over the world, but some of her most iconic and history-making moments have seen her return to the capital. At the request of President George W. Bush, she sang at the Washington National Cathedral in honor of the victims of September 11, giving voice to the country’s collective mourning with renditions of “America, the Beautiful” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” Almost two decades later, Graves once again put national and personal grief into song when she performed at the Capitol memorial service for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a longtime friend of hers.
“She’s chosen for all of these performances that really touch the American spirit,” Wheeler said.
Graves has marked plenty of celebratory occasions, too — she sang at the groundbreaking of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2012, and last year joined other musicians for an event launching the U.S. Department of State’s Global Music Diplomacy Initiative.
She didn’t have to travel far for the performance; Graves is currently based in Baltimore County. But though she lives and works in the DMV, she’s far from where she started — at least career-wise. These days, in addition to teaching at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, Graves has dedicated herself to elevating Black talent in classical music — for both future performers and historical ones.
Her foundation, which she started during the pandemic, has launched three initiatives: One that connects students and faculty at musical conservatories around the world with their counterparts at HBCUs; one that pairs young opera singers with experienced mentors; and one that researches and publicizes the “hidden” histories of classical musicians of color.
“It’s a line that starts with Marian Anderson … there’s just a long line of people that have tried to provide more opportunities for young singers and singers of color,” Wheeler told The Informer. “That needs to be remembered… And it’s wonderful that Denyce has taken this on.”