Reri grist biography
Reri grist (1932- ) - blackpast...
Reri Grist
American opera singer
Reri Grist (born February 29, 1932)[1] is an American coloraturasoprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.
Reri grist biography
Life and career
Reri Grist was born in New York City, grew up in the East River Housing Projects, attended the High School of Music & Art, majored in voice, and graduated with a BA in music from Queens College, City University of New York.
In her early teens she performed on Broadway in small roles with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, including Robert Ardrey's 1946 play Jeb; and in musicals with Eartha Kitt while taking voice lessons with her teacher, Claire Gelda.
Her first opera engagement was as Madame Herz in a concert performance of Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor. Her first staged "operatic" engagement was in 1956 as Cindy Lou (Micaela) in Carmen Jones, Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of Bizet's Carmen.
She was Consuelo in the original production of L