Mattiwilda Dobbs(1925-2015)

She began studying piano when she was 7. She studied voice at Spelman College, and graduated in 1946. As a career back-up, she earned a master's degree in Spanish from Columbia University Teachers College. She also attended the Mannes School of Music and the Berkshire Music Center. A series of scholarships helped fund her musical training. She won the International Music Competition in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1951.