Uptempo Magazine: November 2012 - Timeless Icons

The Bumbry Effect A Reflection on studying with icon Grace bumbry By: Erica Papillon-Posey Walking in for my first voice lesson, shaking uncontrollably, I was petrified, I don’t think she noticed. I was preparing to meet and work with, who was for me, a timeless, iconic beauty of opera celebrity. Not knowing what to expect, by this point I had conjured up all sorts of preconceived notions as to who or what I thought she was. Would she scowl at meeting me, size me up in a way that only classical/opera aficionados can? You know, as my sister calls it, the dreaded- up-down?

Well, those preconceived notions couldn’t have been more incorrect, on a multitude of levels. Not only was I wrong but she was more than I had hoped for. Speaking in what I call ‘high’ English, she was as stellar and as refined as any Diva (I say so affectionately with her permission) but as accessible and open as a concerned family member who has your best interest at heart. From the moment I set eyes on the incomparable mezzo soprano/soprano, Grace Melzia Bumbry -the woman- I saw my mother, my grandmothers and other women of note who have helped to shape me. A deep sense of familiarity calmed me. And strangely enough, my fear began to dissipate almost immediately. Besides, I was still in the presence of an icon. Though I was not afraid, I was still in a surreal state. I couldn’t believe I would be working with the Black Venus of opera, a woman whose signature portrayals of Amneris, Eboli and, the femme fatale of all opera, Carmen would forever serve as the standard for those to follow. I was with Grace Melzia Bumbry, one of only a few singers to successfully transition to high soprano repertoire conquering roles like Turandot, Tosca and Salome, to great acclaim.