Time & Perspective Quote by Leontyne Price

Success, in Leontyne Price's framing, isnt a trophy; its a schedule you finally get to own. Coming from an opera singer whose career demanded punishing rehearsal hours, constant travel, and the politics of being a Black woman on the most elite stages of the 20th century, the line lands as more than a feel-good mantra. Its a quiet, hard-earned correction to the way we usually measure achievement.

The intent is pragmatic: real success buys autonomy, not just applause. Price strips away the glamour associated with prestige and replaces it with something more intimate and scarce: time. Not time as leisure, but time as self-determination, the ability to choose repertoire, pace, and even silence. That word "luxury" matters; it admits the economic and social reality that freedom is not evenly distributed. You dont just wake up with it. You either inherit it, or you fight for it.

The subtext is also a warning about artistic life. In music, especially classical music, your "want" is often subordinated to institutions: seasons, donors, conductors, critics. Price points to the moment when the artist stops being managed and starts managing, when the phone stops dictating your life. Theres dignity in that boundary.

Contextually, its a statement that reframes ambition for a culture addicted to visible hustle. Price argues that the endgame isnt being booked, praised, or even remembered. Its having enough control to decide what your own life sounds like.