Arroyo, Martina (1937-…), an American soprano, was an international opera star from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. Arroyo had a rich, powerful voice especially suited to operas by the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. She also sang major roles in operas by such composers as the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini and the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In addition to her opera performances, Arroyo won acclaim for her singing in oratorios and recitals.
Arroyo was born on Feb. 2, 1937, in New York City, New York. Her father was born in Spain and raised in Puerto Rico, and her mother was an African American. Arroyo began taking voice lessons as a teenager in the Hunter College opera workshop in New York City. She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the college in 1956. In 1958, she was one of two winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s Auditions of the Air. The other winner was Grace Bumbry, another African American singer. In the 1960’s, Arroyo sang primarily in Europe, where there were greater career opportunities for African Americans than there were in the United States.
Arroyo got a major break in 1965 when she substituted for the ill Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson in the title role of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. By the late 1960’s, Arroyo was in demand in both the United States and in Europe. She made her debut at Covent Garden in London, England, in 1968 and at the Paris Opera in France in 1973. Arroyo was a witty and articulate woman who became a popular guest on the “Tonight” television talk show. She also involved herself in public service. In 1976, President Gerald Ford appointed her to a six-year term on the National Council on the Arts. The council advises the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on grants and other matters pertaining to national funding of the arts in the United States.
Later in her career, Arroyo became active in music education. She taught at Louisiana State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, Wilberforce University, and Indiana University. In 2003, she established the Martina Arroyo Foundation to assist young singers in developing their performance skills.
