Mignon Dunn (1928 – 2026)

Their Story

Mignon Dunn was an American dramatic mezzo-soprano and voice teacher, born in Memphis, Tennessee, where she grew up in Tyronza, Arkansas and Memphis. She studied voice with Karin Branzell and Beverley Peck Johnson, and made her professional debut in the title role of Bizet's opera Carmen on September 8, 1955, at the New Orleans Opera. A mezzo-soprano who performed more than 650 times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Dunn became renowned for her commanding interpretations of dramatic roles, particularly the Italian repertoire. She sang the role of Carmen over 400 times in four different languages, establishing it as her signature role. She performed at the world's great opera houses including La Scala, Vienna Staatsoper, London's Royal Opera Covent Garden, Paris Opéra, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the Canadian Opera Company. A vocal educator, she was a voice faculty member at Manhattan School of Music from 1985 until her retirement in December 2023. She received numerous accolades including the President's Medal for Distinguished Faculty Service from Manhattan School of Music in 2011, the Sherrill Milnes Voice Award in 2014, the VERA Award from The Voice Foundation in 2019, and the Artist Excellence Award from the Giulio Gari Foundation.