Soprano, Grammy Award winner, and Roadway star Renee Fleming is donating her personal archives to her alma mater the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.
The collection of selected correspondence, press clippings, magazine features, press kits, programs, performance and professional engagement materials, video performances, memorabilia, and iconography dates back to the beginning of Fleming’s musical career. The collection will become a part of the Peter Jay Sharp Special Collections in the Lila Acheson Wallace Library. Juilliard plans on an exhibit featuring the collection every two years.
Fleming spoke on her decision to donate the collection to Juilliard via a statement saying, “I’m gratified that Juilliard, which has nurtured so many artists, will provide a central home for my archive. The world of music has undergone radical change, and I’ve observed that evolution first-hand. I have often forged my own way, on a path that hasn’t always conformed to a standard model. My hope is that this archive will be a useful resource for students, scholars, or music lovers who want to know more about my own experience as an artist.”
Juilliard President Damian Woetzel spoke on Fleming’s donations n saying, “we are truly honored that our distinguished alumna Renée Fleming is donating her archives to Juilliard. As Renée’s illustrious career continues to break new ground, these archives will expand and give great insight to generations of students, faculty and scholars from around the world.”
Along with her studies and many performances while a student at Juilliard, Fleming has helped in fund raising efforts, given the commencement address, has given master classes via online, and is on the advisory board to help guide Juilliard’s newest branch in China. In 2003, Juilliard presented Fleming with an honourary doctorate degree.
Feature photo credit: By David Shankbone – David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7873682