Willie Anthony Waters: key obituary facts
Is Willie Anthony Waters dead? Yes. Willie Anthony Waters died on March 10, 2026, at age 74.
Cause of death: Willie Anthony Waters's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Willie Anthony Waters known for?
Willie Anthony Waters was an American conductor specializing in opera.
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.