Kathleen Battle (born August 13, 1948, Portsmouth, Ohio, USA) is an African-American soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. One of the most prominent recitalists and opera singers of her generation, she is admired for her wide ranging recital repertoire and performances of the operas of Georg Friedrich Händel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 70s.