Delores Ivory Davis

Delores Ivory Davis is a mezzo soprano, known internationally for her performances in opera, oratorio, and performances with the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony, St. Paul Symphony, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess as Serena and in the televised performance of Treemonisha as Monisha alongside Obba Babatundé. ^[1]

Biography

Davis was born on January 3, 1939 to Henry Ivory and Willa Mae Frazier Ivory, both musicians. She began her study of voice at the age of fourteen. She is a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. She received her B.S. in Music Education from Wayne State University.

In her college years, she won a number of National Vocal Competitions including the National Association of Negro Musicians, the National Usher Board Voice Competition, a John Hay Whitney Award, The Black Business Women's Association- Vocal Division, The National baptist Convention Scholarship Award, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Grant and the Drama Desk Award for "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess for her role as Serena from the N.Y. Music Critics.

Ms. Davis made her debut at Carnegie Hall in 1970 which won her critical acclaim. She has performed major oratorios in New York as a soloist with the New York Opera - Title III Program; was an Artist-in-Residence with the St. Paul Opera Company and has been a soloist at Radio City Music Hall. Singing as Serena, Clara, and Bess, she has performed in the United States, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Spain.

She has studied with Ollie McFarland, Avery Crew, Celeste Cole, Edward Boatner, Claire Gelda, Carolina Segrera Holden and David Nisstad. She was a soloist in the Brazeal Denard Chorale, The Michigan Opera Theatre, the Rackham Symphony Choir and at St. Matthews and St. Joseph's Episcopal Church. She was formerly a soloist at Christ Church and Conductor of the Plymouth Chorale.

Sources

• Carnovale, Norbert, George Gershwin: a bio-bibliography, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000, pp. 69 and 71. ISBN 0313260036
• Michigan State Chamber of Commerce, The Negro in Michigan, 1969 p. 57
• Ping-Robbins, Nancy R., Scott Joplin: a guide to research, Routledge, 1998, p. 314. ISBN 0824083997
• Smith, Eric Ledell, Blacks in opera: an encyclopedia of people and companies, 1873-1993, McFarland, 1995, p 101. ISBN 0899508138

References

1. ^ Kart, Larry (July 24, 1988). "Treemonisha". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-07-24/entertainment/8801170467_1_treemonisha-scott-joplin-carmen-balthrop. Retrieved June 7, 2011. 

External links

• Delores Ivory-Davis at the Internet Broadway Database 1920658/
• Delores Ivory at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Davis, Delores Ivory
Alternative names
Short description	opera singer
Date of birth	1939
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death