Biography

Elizabeth P. Graham made her professional debut with the Houston Grand Opera Company in the Tony Award-winning revival of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess as both Clara and Bess. She toured these roles extensively throughout the United States and Europe. She was featured as Bess in the Spoleto Festival of Three Worlds in Melbourne, Australia. Most recently she performed the lead role of Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly for Florida Arts Celebration and toured with Living Arts Productions' Porgy and Bess singing the role of Bess.

Dr. Graham has won such prestigious competitions as the Metropolitan Opera District and Regional Auditions, The Palm Beach Civic Opera Competition and The National Young Artists Award. Her operatic performances include major roles in Madama Butterfly, Turandot, II Tabarro, Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, I Pagliacci, Carmen, The Tales of Hoffman, II Trovatore, The Boor and Treemonisha.

Dr. Graham made her Seattle Symphony debut in 1983 singing Bess (concert version) and repeated the role with the Memphis Symphony in 1984. Other appearances include the Virginia Philharmonic, and Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 with Ransom Wilson conducting the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra.

In 1992 Dr. Graham was soprano soloist with Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for the dedication ceremony of the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

A native of Shelby, North Carolina, Dr. Graham received her Bachelor's degree from North Carolina School of the Arts and her Master's and Doctorate degrees from Florida State University. Dr. Graham is Professor of Music at the University of Florida where she teaches voice and heads the School of Music's voice area.