“Renee Fleming is currently the Great American Soprano. Late-night television? Check. She recently made her second appearance on Letterman, singing three minutes of music by Handel (music featured on her latest recording). White House? She sang at a New Year’s Eve gala there in 1999, among other appearances. Major international events? She sang for Russian President Vladimir Putin and 50 other heads of state at the Mariinsky Theatre to celebrate the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 2003. Magazines? She’s on the cover of the current Town & Country, which dubs her ‘the down-to-earth diva.’ Oh yes, and she also sang, in the made-up language of Elvish, on the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings.”