Barbara Hendricks

Like so many other famous American classical artists, the African-American soprano singer Barbara Hendricks attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. During her time at the school she was mentored by the Russian-born mezzo soprano Jennie Tourel and Hendricks paid homage to her former teacher with a compilation of art songs titled 'Hommage à Jennie Tourel' which she released in 1998.

Hendricks made her professional European operatic debut in 1974, firstly at the UK's Glyndebourne Festival and then in the US at the San Francisco Opera. Since then she has risen to become one of the world's leading operatic sopranos and has appeared at major opera venues around the globe including the New York Met, London's Royal Opera House, the Opera Nationale in Paris and Milan's La Scala.

Outside of classical music Hendricks is also a respected jazz singer and has appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival and other major jazz festivals around the world. In her private life she is an active campaigner for the rights of refugees and displaced people and in 2002 was named as an Honorary Lifetime Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.