Marilyn Mims (born September 8, 1954) is an American

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

tic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

who had an active career during the 1980s and 1990s. A regular performer at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

from 1988 to 1992, her singing career was cut short after being diagnosed with

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

in 1995. She notably sang the role of Ortlinde on the Met's 1987 recording of '' Die Walküre'' under James Levine for Deutsche Grammophon, which won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She currently teaches on the voice faculty at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Life and career

Born and raised in Collins, Mississippi, Mims earned a bachelor's degree in music from the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

and studied vocal performance at the Jacobs School of Music at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

. At IU she was a pupil of renowned soprano

Virginia Zeani Virginia Zeani (born Virginia Zehan; 21 October 1925), Commendatore OMRI is a Romanian-born opera singer who sang leading soprano roles in the opera houses of Europe and North America. As a singer, she was known for her dramatic intensity and ...

. Marilyn Mims also studied voice with Dr. Jay W. Wilkey. In 1986 Mims won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She made her professional opera debut the following year at the New York City Opera as Violetta in Verdi's ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

''. In 1988 she sang the role of Isabelle in Meyerbeer's '' Robert le Diable'' with the

Opera Orchestra of New York The Opera Orchestra of New York (also known as OONY) specializes in the performance of opera in concert form. It is particularly known for its work in presenting rarely performed repertory. Among the numerous American premieres it has presented are ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

. That same year she made her debut at the Met as Rosalinde in '' Die Fledermaus'' opposite

Thomas Allen Thomas Allen may refer to: Clergy *Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England *Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732) *Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England * ...

as Eisenstein and

Judith Blegen Judith Blegen (April 27, 1943, Lexington, Kentucky) is an American soprano, particularly associated with light lyric roles of the French, Italian and German repertories. Life and career Blegen was raised and attended high school in Missoula, Monta ...

as Adele. She continued to sing roles at the Met annually through 1992, portraying Constanze in '' Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', Donna Anna in ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

'', Fiordiligi in ''

Così fan tutte (''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte w ...

'', Gilda in '' Rigoletto'', Violetta in ''

'', and the title role in '' Lucia di Lammermoor''. In 1990 Mims made her debut at the San Francisco Opera as Nedda in ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, "Clowns") is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who m ...

''. She returned to San Francisco in 1991 to portray Donna Anna in ''

''. Other American companies she sang leading roles with included the Michigan Opera Theatre and the Santa Fe Opera.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mims, Marilyn Living people American operatic sopranos Jacobs School of Music alumni Singers from Mississippi Palm Beach Atlantic University faculty People from Collins, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni Winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions 20th-century American women opera singers 1954 births American women academics 21st-century American women