Soprano Margaret Tynes died at the age of 104 on March 8 2024.

Born on Sept. 11, 1919 in Saluda Virginia, Tynes was discovered to be a childhood prodigy at the age of six when she won her first award of $500 against adults at the time. She won her second award, also against adults, at the age of 12 when she sang the lullaby from Jocelyn by Godard.

She went on to get her Bachelor’s from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1939 and continued her studies at the Juilliard School. She would later transfer to Columbia University and receive a Master’s in Music Education.

Following her studies, she went on to become a leading soprano in the world performing at many of the world’s greatest houses. She performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Prague State Opera, Budapest Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Teatro Comunale di Bologna, among others. She also performed at the Spoleto Festival under Thomas Schippers and Luchino Visconti.

Among the roles she was best known for included Lady Macbeth, Aida, Norma, Tosca, Salome, Liu in “Turandot”, Leonora in “La Forza del Destino,” Desdemona in “Otello,” and the title role of “Jenufa.”

Tynes also sang oratorios and concert pieces including Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Britten’s War Requiem, and Strauss’s Four Last Songs.

Other highlights included performing Bess in “Porgy and Bess” at the New York City Opera for six years and performing “Amahl and the Night Visitors” on NBC. She performed on Broadway in “Lysistrata” with Sidney Poitier and in Finian’s “Rainbow.”

Tynes became the American singer to perform behind the Iron Curtain when she went to Russia with Ed Sullivan for the United States Department.