Willie Anthony Waters, an American conductor specializing in opera, died on March 10, 2026.
Born on October 11, 1951, in Goulds, Florida, in Miami, where he was also raised, he became the first African-American to serve as artistic director of a major opera company. Waters was noted as one of the few Black conductors to achieve worldwide success.
He graduated from the University of Miami and received a master’s degree in conducting from Memphis State University in 1975.
Willie Anthony Waters (October 11, 1951 – March 9, 2026) was an American conductor. A specialist in opera, Waters was the first African-American to become artistic director of a major opera company, and is noted as one of the few black conductors to have experienced worldwide success.