Lillian Evanti (August 12, 1890 – December 6, 1967), was an African American opera singer. Evanti, a soprano, debuted in 1927 in Delibes's Lakmé at Nice, France. She graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor's Degree in music and studied in France and Italy. As an opera singer and concert artist, she toured throughout Europe and South America. She received acclaim as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata as produced by the National Negro Opera Company in 1945. Evanti is most famous for holding the honor of being the first African- American female professional opera singer.
The Music of Black Americans: A History. Eileen Southern. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0-393-97141-4