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Opera singer Beverly Sills died at 78

Beverly Sills, the powerhouse soprano who also had an equally impressive career as an arts administrators and fundraiser, died recently of lung caner. She was 78.

After her triumphant operatic career, she became the head of the New York City Opera in 1979, saving it form financial ruin. In 1994, she became the first woman to head Lincoln Center* and in 2002 the first woman to chair the board of the Metropolitan Opera. In all those capacities, her fundraising abilities were legendary --- her Rolodex*, friends joked, was as golden as her voice.
Unlike many international opera divas, she built her career mainly in America. Sills had made her debut at the New York Opera in 1955. she was a mainstay of the City Opera thereafter.

Born Belle Miriam Silverman on May 25, 1929, Sills won her earliest renown at age 3 in a Miss Beautiful Baby contest and began singing professionally at 16. In 1956, she married Peter Greenough. In 1959, their daughter, Muffy, was born deaf, unable to hear her mother’s voice. Two years later, they had a son, Peter Jr., who was autistic, speechless and epileptic*. For a few years, Sills did not sing. But in 1966, she returned to the City Opera in a revival* of Handle’s Julius Caesar.

Because of her warm, sparking personality, Sills was nicknamed Bubbles. She became a fixture* on television, appearing with talk-show hosts like Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas.
In the often stodgy* world of opera, Sills was an innovator. Shortly after she took over the City Opera, she installed subtitles, the first American opera company to use them. “I do not think that opera is for the elite*,” she said.

Her husband died last year, two months before what would have been their 50th anniversary. Sills is survived by her daughter, her son and one brother.

Vocabulary Focus

revival(n)--- a performance of a production which has not been seen for a long time

fixture (n)--- someone considered to be a regular feature

stodgy (adj)--- boring, serious and formal

elite (n)--- the richest, most powerful, best educated group in a society

Specialized terms

Lincoln Center(n phr)--- 林肯中心 a group of buildings in New York City that serves as a center for performing arts and houses a total of 12 arts organizations

Rolodex(n)--- 桌上旋轉(zhuǎn)式名片架 a trademark name for a desktop filing system containing removable cards with individuals’ names and contact information

epileptic(adj)--- 患有癲癇的 relating to a condition of he brain which causes a person to lose consciousness for short periods of time or to move in a violent and uncontrolled way

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