Blog

May 28, 2025

When Renée Sings, We Listen: A Tribute from LA Opera

Some artists enter a room. Others enter history. And some—like Renée Fleming—do both, without seeming to notice the difference.

Fleming is rightfully known as one of opera’s most luminous stars—her artistry earning her five Grammy Awards, a National Medal of Arts, and the honor of being the first opera singer to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. This is possible because Renée Fleming has a rare gift: she elevates everything she touches.

Here at LA Opera, that gift shines brightly. Renée has left an indelible mark on our company, not only through her unforgettable performances but also through her ongoing role as our Advisor for Special Projects. Each time she returns, it feels like welcoming family. Her presence doesn’t just elevate the performance—it enriches our entire season. For this year’s appearance, she’s joined by Broadway stars Tituss Burgess, Lindsay Mendez, and Jessie Mueller. With this star studded cast of vocal powerhouses giving their renditions of Broadway classics, this is sure to be a night to remember, but before we raise the curtain, we want to raise a glass to the superstar that we’re glad to call a friend.

Renée Fleming first graced our stage in 2002. Even then, her arrival felt momentous. She was already a reigning figure in the opera world, performing in the great houses of Europe and America. Her first appearance with us was a recital—a quiet, intimate introduction that would come to symbolize the deep connection we’ve formed. She would return for additional recitals in 2005, 2009 and 2013 (the last a duo recital with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham) and for gala concerts in 2003 and 2016.

If her 2002 recital introduced us to her vocal elegance, 2006 brought us face-to-face with her dramatic intensity, when she took the stage as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata—the kind of role that lives or dies on sincerity. Fleming gave the kind of performance that reminds you why opera exists—to stir the soul. All the more impressive considering that Violetta was a relatively new role for her, having only performed it for the first time three years prior. But it doesn't matter if it's familiar or not, Fleming will give it her all and dazzle us in the process. Thankfully, we preserved that production on DVD, capturing a moment that is ingrained in our company’s history. But even without the DVD, we still remember how our hearts broke when she sang "Amami, Alfredo."

Fleming’s next appearance with us revealed yet another dimension of her artistry. This time, she stepped beyond the 19th-century canon and into the raw emotional terrain of 20th-century American drama—where opera meets psychological intensity. For her second role with us in 2014, she would inhabit one of the most complex characters in all of American drama: Blanche DuBois in André Previn’s operatic adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. Renée brought exquisite vulnerability and dramatic nuance to a role she had originated in 1998 at San Francisco Opera. Seeing her revive the role on our stage was a rare privilege—proof of her unmatched ability to blur the line between singer and actor, between character and soul.

Whether she’s portraying a tragic heroine or a tormented Southern belle, Fleming’s storytelling is always rooted in music. So, when she returned in 2019 for a role that straddled the line between musical theater and opera, it felt like a natural—and thrilling—extension of her artistry. Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza, a musical that leans heavily into operatic richness. It was a bold programming choice for us, but one made entirely natural by Fleming’s portrayal of Margaret Johnson, a character that felt incredibly realistic yet radiant. Through Fleming, we felt the hardships of a mother trying to do what she believed best for her daughter, even when she is close to losing herself in the process. Having appeared on Broadway in Living on Love and Carousel, she was perfectly poised to bridge the worlds of opera and musical theater. The result was magical—a radiant performance that confirmed her boundless versatility and her singular ability to breathe life into every genre she enters.

Fleming is not just a singer now. She’s a steward. As LA Opera’s Advisor for Special Projects, she brings us more than performances—she brings perspective. She brings new work, like Kevin Puts’ The Brightness of Light, André Previn’s Penelope. She brings causes: arts and health, healing and research.

This is seen through her role as Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health with the World Health Organization, where she has helped us launch and grow LA County’s Arts and Health Week Summit—an annual gathering of local organizations committed to exploring how the arts can transform lives and improve well-being. Her passion for this work is a testament to her belief in music not only as beauty, but as medicine.

Her voice is no longer only for the stage. It’s also for what happens when the music stops and life resumes.

Every time Renée steps onto our stage, we’re reminded of how lucky we are to call her a part of our LA Opera family. Her talent is breathtaking, yes—but it’s her heart, her wisdom, and her continued devotion to art in all its forms that truly move us. Her legacy is not just one of extraordinary performances, but of generosity, curiosity, and hope.

We talk about legacy like it’s a museum exhibit. But Renée Fleming’s legacy is living. It breathes. It returns year after year.

There’s a moment we always return to: the hush before her final note in La Traviata, the way the theater seemed to hold as the tears rolled down our faces, juxtaposed by the thunderous applause that followed moments later. It’s a memory that we, and anyone else who watched that night, will never forget. That’s the magic of Renée Fleming—and why her story with LA Opera is far from over.

To get tickets to see Renée Fleming live, click here to get tickets for her June 14^th performance.