Simon Estes

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Simon Estes (born February 2, 1938) is an American bass-baritone.

Estes was born in Centerville, Iowa, USA. His Baptist father was a coal-miner. At the University of Iowa he sang tenor, but was reclassified as bass-baritone. In 1964 he went to the Juilliard School and in the following year made his debut in Aida at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. In 1978 he sang the title role in Der fliegende Holländer at Bayreuth, the first male African-American to sing a major role on stage there. His 1985 reprise of the same role at Bayreuth was captured on video, and is still considered to be one of the best available on DVD. In 1985 Estes sang Porgy in the Metropolitan Opera's first production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

He was recently heard in his 103rd role, that of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Boston University, where he serves as Professor of Music.

[edit] Simon Estes

Internationally acclaimed bass baritone, Simon Estes, has sung at the world's major opera houses as well as in front of presidents, popes and internationally renowned figures and celebrities including Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Boris Yeltsin, Yasser Arafat, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

Mr. Estes rose from humble beginnings in Centerville, Iowa, as the son of Ruth Jeter and the grandson of a slave sold at auction for $500, to become one of the world's most accomplished African-American opera singers, paving the way for other African Americans in the classical music world.

One of Dr. Estes's greatest career moments was in singing the role of Amonasro in Aida, along with Leontyne Price as Aida in her "farewell performance" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Leontyne Price, who suffered actual threats on her life when she first opened at the Met, explained, "Simon, it's going to be even more difficult for you. Because you are a black male, the discrimination will be greater. You have a beautiful voice; you are musical, intelligent, independent and handsome. With all of these ingredients, you are a threat. It will be more difficult for you than it was for me." Simon Estes, who strongly believes that we create our own destiny, has transcended discrimination, achieving insurmountable success and going on to help others.

Known for his humanitarian efforts, Mr. Estes has helped talented students pursue their dreams. He has helped talented students attend the Juilliard School of Music in New York City where he has been a professor since 1985. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, he has established the Simon Estes Educational Foundation which has awarded over one million dollars in merit-based college scholarships.

The Simon Estes International Foundation for Children in Switzerland was established in 1993 and has saved lives by providing support for child health needs in Switzerland and Bulgaria.

During the 1998-99 school year, 40 musically gifted students from the Simon Estes School, serving some of the poorest children in South Africa, attended Des Moines-area high schools under the sponsorship of Rotary District 6000 and performed throughout Iowa as the Simon Estes South African Youth Chorus.

He is a professor of Music at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa where he regularly gives voice lessons and even sings and tours with the Wartburg Choir. He regularly preforms in Wartburg's Christmas concert, Christmas With Wartburg, and has been known to go on spring tours internationally with Wartburg's concert choir. He is also the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist in Residence at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.^[1]

Simon Estes now joins his family, first cousin and Leesons West founders, Bernard Lewis and his son, Kevin Lewis in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the now leading cause of death among African Americans. At the forefront of Artists for HIV/AIDS prevention and education, Mr. Estes leads a collective voice of artists, who through music and arts, seek to break down socio-economic barriers as well as the stigma associated with the disease.

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