Wilhelmenia Fernandez [SEP] voice type
Wilhelmenia Fernandez
Wilhelmenia Fernandez, sometimes billed as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, is an American soprano.
Biography.
She was born in Philadelphia in 1949. She appeared in the 1981 film "Diva" by French director Jean-Jacques Beineix.
Fernandez's early training was at the Philadelphia Academy of Vocal Arts, followed by a scholarship at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Her operatic debut was as Bess in "Porgy and Bess", for Houston Grand Opera, a production which toured both the USA
(1990).
Following this he guest conducted many orchestras around the world including the Leningrad Philharmonic, with whom he made several recordings and became guest conductor in the 1989/90 season.
Among operatic engagements for Covent Garden he conducted "Eugene Onegin" in 1979, in Nice in November 1985 he conducted "Simon Boccanegra" with Wilhelmenia Fernandez and Piero Cappuccilli, returning in January 1987 for "Tosca" with Olivia Stapp, Nicolai Gedda and Theo Adam and in Houston in October 1986 he conducted "Boris Godunov" with Nicolai