Graciela Rivera

Graciela Rivera (17 April 1921 – 17 July 2011 ) was the first Puerto Rican to sing a lead role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Early years Graciela Rivera was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She was the seventh of eight children born to evangelical minister-cabinetmaker Gonzalo Salvador Rivera and Enriqueta Padilla. As a child she enjoyed singing. As a church pastor, her father who would often play in his record player the opera music of Caruso. He owned a piano and when he played she would sing church hymns with her mother. She was considered very talented by her family and teachers alike.

Her family moved to Cataño and later to Santurce, a section of San Juan, where she finished her primary and secondary education. She was a student at Santurce Central High School when she auditioned and participated in school productions of "The Magic Flute", "Il trovatore", "Rigoletto", "Lucia di Lammermoor" and "Aida" (Ms. Rivera believes these were the first operas ever produced by a high school anywhere in the world). She delighted audiences in Puerto Rico with her soprano voice in concerts which she organized. She planned to use the money obtained from these concerts to pay for her studies at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City.

Broadway Rivera moved to New York after she graduated from high school. She enrolled at Juilliard's and took voice classes with Lucia Dunham, piano lessons, music theory, harmony and composition, graduating in 1943. Upon the outbreak of World War II, she sang for the American troops overseas as a member of the Red Cross.

Later years and death She taught Puerto Rican music, Italian and Spanish at the Hostos Community College for 15 years before retiring in 1987. She also held conferences at Hunter College, Rutgers College and Lehman College. at her home in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, Atlantic County, New Jersey. She was survived by her daughter, Ginny Soto, and son-in-law, Sam Soto, of Mays Landing, N.J.; her daughter-in-law, Jean Marie Zumchak; and her grandchildren, Joseph Zumchak III, and Jacob Zumchak of Port Richey, Fla.; in addition to many nieces and nephews. She was buried at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery next to her husband Joseph Zumchak. The park was rebuilt during the administration of Mayor Francisco Zayas Seijo (2005 - 2009), and dedicated in 2006. The park's architect was Juan R. Dalmau Simbolin. Estatua de La Labradora, already existed at the location prior to the 2006 rededication of the park. Rivera is also recognized at the Park for the Illustrious Ponce Citizens.