Eva Jessye
Eva Jessye (January 20, 1895 — February 21, 1992) was an African American who was the first black woman to receive international distinction as a professional choral conductor. She is notable as a choral conductor during the Harlem Renaissance, who created her own choral group featured widely in performance. Her professional influence extended for decades through her teaching as well. Her accomplishments in this field were historic for any woman. She collaborated in productions of groundbreaking works, directing her choir and working with Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein on Four Saints in Three Acts (1933), and serving as musical director with George Gershwin on his innovative opera Porgy and Bess (1935).
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Famous quotes containing the words eva jessye and/or eva:
“I traveled and made money and I wouldn’t let anybody get between me and my music. If I belong to anything, I belong to my music. ...What you were born to do, you don’t stop to think, should I? could I? would I? I only think, will I? And, I shall!”
—Eva Jessye (b. 1895)
“If we had had the right technology back then, you would have seen Eva Braun on the Donahue show and Adolf Hitler on Meet the Press.”
—Ted Turner (b. 1935)