The great American soprano Renée Fleming once said, “A lot of performers don’t want to leave the circuit, the European opera house circuit, partly because most singers don’t sing many concerts, or at least not while they are in their prime.”
Over the decades, the Harriman-Jewell Series has presented highly acclaimed sopranos, like Fleming, who are willing to take a break from the opera house while at the height of their powers to offer intimate recitals to Kansas City audiences. Fleming is scheduled to make her fifth appearance on the Harriman-Jewell Series on November 18, 2021, in the Kauffman Center’s Helzberg Hall.
Renée Fleming is one of a long line of extraordinary, world-renowned sopranos who have graced the stages of Kansas City thanks to the Harriman-Jewell Series. Starting with Spanish soprano Victoria de los Ángeles, who sang her recital in 1966, the biggest names in the world of opera have regularly performed on the Series. Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills, Kiri Te Kanawa and Kathleen Battle have all been presented by the Series. And several have appeared multiple times, like Marilyn Horne.
“She sang 10 recitals on the Series,” said Clark Morris, executive and artistic director of the Harriman-Jewell Series. “Marilyn was one of Richard Harriman’s favorite singers. She and Richard developed a really wonderful relationship, so much so that, when she started the Marilyn Horne Foundation to nourish young singers, we brought some of those singers to Kansas City.”
Morris recalled the time when the Harriman-Jewell Series renamed itself in honor of Richard Harriman and held a gala concert with Marilyn Horne.
“Richard told a very funny story about the first time that Marilyn performed on the Series,” Morris said. “She asked for his handkerchief backstage and blotted her lipstick on it. Richard said he always regretted he didn’t save that handkerchief because she became so famous. Then he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and asked her to blot her lips on it, and then pulled a Ziploc bag out of his tuxedo pocket and put the handkerchief in it. We framed it and now have a perfect impression of Ms. Horne’s famous lips hanging in our office,” Morris said with a chuckle.
Jessye Norman was a frequent guest on the Harriman-Jewell Series. Morris says Norman combined a regal presence with a close connection to her audience. “People just went nuts for her,” he said. “She was signing autographs one time after a concert, and I remember thinking this was longest autograph line I have ever seen. We had a patron reception she agreed to go to, and our people were getting a little antsy because she was taking so long signing autographs. But she said she was going to stay as long as ‘my people’ are here. She considered the audience her people.”
Just as the Harriman-Jewell Series is well known for presenting Luciano Pavarotti’s first international recital, it also introduced several debut recitals by now-famous sopranos. Romanian Ileana Contrubaș made her American recital debut in Kansas City just eight days after The New York Times wrote “Miss Contrubaș is rapidly ascending to the forefront of the lyric sopranos of the world.” The Harriman-Jewell Series and its Kansas City audience helped to boost her ascent.
Renée Fleming is one of those special classical artists whose charisma transcends the concert hall to touch the hearts of a wide variety of audiences. She was the first opera singer to perform at the Super Bowl and is always a welcome guest on late-night talk shows. And Renée Fleming is always welcome in Kansas City.
“I appreciate so many different things about Renée Fleming,” Morris said. “Her voice and artistry are pristine and stellar, and musically she is deep and thoughtful. The times I’ve gotten to meet her and spend time with her she has been just the nicest, warmest person you could imagine. You’d love to have her as your neighbor.”
For more information about the Harriman-Jewell Series and its upcoming performances, call 816-415-5025 or visit HJSERIES.ORG.
–Patrick Neas
