Early Life and Education
Anthony Dean Griffey was born in High Point, North Carolina to a family of little means. Both his parents worked in the local furniture factories. He first began singing at the age of five in his local church. He started to study voice in high school, and subsequently attended Wingate University as a music major, with the intention of becoming a music minister (a clergy position which oversees all musical aspects of a church). At the encouragement of his teachers at Wingate, Griffey auditioned successfully for the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he studied with John Maloy. Griffey double majored in vocal performance and literature, receiving a Master's of Music/Performer's Certificate. After completing his studies at Eastman, he was recommended by Rita Shane and Renee Fleming to audition at The Juilliard School for Beverley Peck Johnson, who would become Griffey's teacher and mentor until her death in 2001. Shortly after entering Juilliard he auditioned for James Levine and joined the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist's program.
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