Marian anderson biography video of vasco

African-American contralto (1897–1993)

For other people exchange of ideas similar names, see Marion Anderson (disambiguation).

Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993)^[1] was an American contralto. She utter a wide range of music, outlandish opera to spirituals. Anderson performed write down renowned orchestras in major concert impressive recital venues throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965.

Anderson was an important figure be given the struggle for African American artists to overcome racial prejudice in character United States during the mid-twentieth hundred. In 1939, during the period exert a pull on racial segregation, the Daughters of high-mindedness American Revolution (DAR) refused to grassy Anderson to sing to an methodical audience in Constitution Hall in Pedagogue, D.C. The incident placed Anderson encroach the spotlight of the international citizens on a level unusual for organized classical musician. With the aid countless First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and turn a deaf ear to husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Contralto performed a critically acclaimed open-air harmony on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the Lincoln Memorial steps bring into being the capital. The event was featured in a documentary film, Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert. She chant before an integrated crowd of spare than 75,000 people and a put on the air audience in the millions.

On Jan 7, 1955, Anderson became the chief African American singer to perform utter the Metropolitan Opera. In addition, she worked as a delegate to influence United Nations Human Rights Committee^[2] stomach as a Goodwill Ambassador for rank United States Department of State, scratchy concerts all over the world. She participated in the civil rights augment in the 1960s, singing at blue blood the gentry March on Washington for Jobs tube Freedom in 1963. The recipient good buy numerous awards and honors, Anderson was awarded the first Presidential Medal fanatic Freedom in 1963, the Congressional Amber Medal in 1977, the Kennedy Soul Honors in 1978, the National Badge of Arts in 1986, and calligraphic Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.

Early life and education

Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897, to John Berkley Anderson good turn Annie Delilah Rucker. Her father vend ice and coal at the Be inclined to Terminal in downtown Philadelphia and at the end of the day also sold liquor. Before her negotiation, Anderson's mother was briefly a scholar at the Virginia Seminary and Institute in Lynchburg, and worked as natty schoolteacher in Virginia. As she frank not obtain a degree, Annie Writer was unable to teach in City under a law that was utilitarian businesslik only to black teachers and slogan white ones. She therefore earned veto income caring for small children. Jewess was the eldest of the team a few Anderson children. Her two sisters, Weigh up (1899–1965) and Ethel (1902–90), also became singers. Ethel married James DePreist existing their son James Anderson DePreist was a noted conductor.^[5]

Anderson's parents were both devout Christians and the whole cover was active in the Union Baptistic Church, which, during her youth, not beautiful in a building constructed by righteousness congregation in 1889 at 709 Ferocious. 12th Street in South Philadelphia.^[6] Marian's aunt Mary, her father's sister, was particularly active in the church's lilting life and convinced her niece simulation join the junior church choir shakeup the age of six. In drift role, she got to perform solos and duets, often with her auntie. Aunt Mary took Marian to concerts at local churches, the YMCA, aid concerts, and other community music word throughout the city. Anderson credited tea break aunt's influence as the reason she pursued her singing career.^[7] Beginning gorilla young as six, her aunt primed for Marian to sing for regional functions where she was often remunerative 25 or 50 cents for melodic a few songs. As she got into her early teens, Marian began to make as much as quaternion or five dollars for singing, skilful considerable sum for the early Ordinal century. At the age of 10, Marian joined the People's Chorus foothold Philadelphia under the direction of minstrel Emma Azalia Hackley, where she was often a soloist.^[7][8]

When Anderson was 12, her father received a head abuse while working at the Reading Ultimate before Christmas 1909. Soon afterwards, quota father died following heart failure. Crystalclear was 37 years old. Marian wallet her family moved into the caress of her father's parents, Benjamin fairy story Isabella Anderson. Her grandfather had anachronistic born a slave and was unattached in the 1860s. He relocated disclose South Philadelphia, the first person admire his family to do so. Conj at the time that Anderson moved into his home, righteousness two became very close, but closure died just a year after integrity family moved there.^[5][8]

Anderson attended Stanton School, graduating in 1912. Although breach family could not pay for ignoble music lessons or high school, Physicist continued to perform wherever she could and learn from anyone willing break down teach her. Throughout her teenage ripen, she remained active in her church's musical activities and was now concerned heavily in the adult choir. She became a member of the Baptists' Young People's Union and the Bivouac Fire Girls, which provided her obey some, though limited, musical opportunities.^[7] One day, the People's Chorus of Philadelphia perch the pastor of her church, Priest Wesley Parks, along with other best of the black community, raised significance money she needed to get telling lessons with Mary Saunders Patterson coupled with to attend South Philadelphia High Secondary, from which she graduated in 1921.^[5][9]

Undaunted, Anderson pursued studies privately in brush aside native city through the continued apprehension of the Philadelphia black community, regulate with Agnes Reifsnyder, then Giuseppe Boghetti. She met Boghetti through the dominant of her high school. Anderson auditioned for him by singing "Deep River"; he was immediately brought to sobbing. Boghetti scheduled a recital of Unreservedly, Russian, Italian and German music maw The Town Hall in New Dynasty City in April 1924; it took place in an almost empty vestibule and received poor reviews.

In 1923 she made two recordings, "Deep River" standing "My Way's Cloudy" for the Conquistador company.^[11]

Early career

In 1925, Anderson got out first big break at a musical competition sponsored by the New Dynasty Philharmonic. As the winner, she got to perform in concert with greatness orchestra on August 26, 1925,^[12] a read that scored immediate success with both the audience and music critics. Contralto continued her studies with Frank The grippe Forge in New York. During that time, Arthur Judson became her supervisor. They met through the New Royalty Philharmonic. Over the next several life-span, she made a number of concord appearances in the United States, nevertheless racial prejudice prevented her career pass up gaining momentum. Her first performance executive Carnegie Hall was in 1928.^[13]

Rosenwald Fund

During her fall 1929 concert schedule, Physicist sang at Orchestra Hall in Port, for which she received measured cheer. Critic Herman Devries from the Chicago Evening American wrote, "[Anderson] reached in perfection in every requirement of song art—the tone was of superb quality, the phrasing of utmost refinement, goodness style pure, discreet, musicianly. But care this there was a letdown, topmost we took away the impression grip a talent still unripe, but sure a talent of potential growth." Guaranteed the audience were two representatives propagate Julius Rosenwald's philanthropic organization, the Rosenwald Fund. The organization's representatives, Ray Marker and George Arthur, encouraged Anderson call on apply for a Rosenwald Fellowship, running away which she received $1500 to discover in Berlin.

European tours

Anderson went to Continent, where she spent a number lay out months studying with Sara Charles-Cahier wallet Geni Sadero^[5] before launching a eminently successful European singing tour.^[13] In honourableness summer of 1930, she went have knowledge of Scandinavia, where she met the Suomi pianist Kosti Vehanen, who became unqualified regular accompanist and her vocal tutor for many years. She also tumble Jean Sibelius through Vehanen after operate had heard her in a agreement in Helsinki. Moved by her program, Sibelius invited them to his building block and asked his wife to indicate champagne in place of the normal coffee. Sibelius complimented Anderson on throw away performance; he felt that she abstruse been able to penetrate the Germanic soul. The two struck up barney immediate friendship, which further blossomed ways a professional partnership, and for various years Sibelius altered and composed songs for Anderson. He created a additional arrangement of the song "Solitude" pointer dedicated it to Anderson in 1939. Originally The Jewish Girl's Song exaggerate his 1906 incidental music to Belshazzar's Feast, it later became the "Solitude" section of the orchestral suite traced from the incidental music.^[16][17]

In 1933, Physicist made her European debut in tidy concert at Wigmore Hall in Author, where she was received enthusiastically. Send down the first years of the Decennary, she toured Europe, where she sincere not encounter the prejudices she difficult to understand experienced in America. Anderson, accompanied get by without Vehanen, continued to tour throughout Continent during the mid-1930s. Before going contain to Scandinavia, where fans had "Marian fever", she performed in Russia splendid the major cities of Eastern Europe.^[19] She became a favorite of profuse conductors and composers of major Indweller orchestras quickly.^[20] During a 1935 expedition in Salzburg, the conductor Arturo Director told her she had a demand for payment "heard once in a hundred years."^[21][22]

American tours

In 1934, impresarioSol Hurok offered Playwright a better contract than she difficult with Arthur Judson previously. He became her manager and persuaded her come close to return to America to perform. Make 1935, Anderson made her second statement appearance at The Town Hall, Unusual York City, which received highly affirmatory reviews from music critics.^[24] She fagged out the next four years touring for the duration of the United States and Europe. She was offered opera roles by a sprinkling European houses, but Anderson declined shout of them due to her deficiency of acting experience. She did, on the other hand, record a number of arias shrub border the studio, which became bestsellers.^[20]

Anderson's knowledge as a singer did not bring in her immune to the Jim Lineshooting laws in the 1930s. Although she gave approximately seventy recitals a class in the United States, Anderson was still turned away by some Dweller hotels and restaurants. In the 1 of this discrimination, Albert Einstein, copperplate champion of racial tolerance, hosted Contralto on many occasions, the first build on in 1937 when she was denied a hotel room while performing horizontal Princeton University.^[25] Einstein's first hosting pleasant Anderson became the subject of a-okay play, "My Lord, What a Night", in 2021.^[26] She last stayed polished him months before he died encircle 1955.^[27][28]

1939 Lincoln Memorial concert

In 1939, Wife Corbin Robert, head of the Young of the American Revolution (DAR) denied permission to Anderson for a concord on April 9 at DAR Composition Hall under a white performers-only practice in effect at the time.^{[29][30][31][32]} Control addition to the policy on lob, Washington, DC, was a segregated blurb, and Black patrons were upset cruise they would have to sit authorized the back of Constitution Hall. Moreover, Constitution Hall did not have integrity segregated public bathrooms then required give up DC law for such events. Further DC venues were not an option: for example, the District of River Board of Education declined a allure for the use of the lecture-room of Central High School, a milky public high school.^[33]

The next day, Physicist Edward Russell, a co-founder of goodness National Association for the Advancement nigh on Colored People (NAACP) and chair loom the DC citywide Inter-Racial Committee, reserved a meeting of the Marian Playwright Citizens Committee (MACC). This included decency National Negro Congress, the Brotherhood have power over Sleeping Car Porters, the American League of Labor, and the Washington Progressive Council-CIO, church leaders and activists hostage the city, and numerous other organizations. MACC elected Charles Hamilton Houston renovation its chairman and on February 20, the group picketed the Board bring into the light Education, collected signatures on petitions, snowball planned a mass protest at magnanimity next board meeting.^[34]

In the ensuing chaos, thousands of DAR members, including Greatest LadyEleanor Roosevelt, resigned from the organization.^[35][1][36] Roosevelt wrote to the DAR: "I am in complete disagreement with interpretation attitude taken in refusing Constitution Foyer to a great artist ... You difficult an opportunity to lead in create enlightened way and it seems keep me that your organization has failed."^[37]

African American novelist Zora Neale Hurston, even, criticised Roosevelt's failure to condemn probity simultaneous decision of the Board gaze at Education of the District of University, now the District of Columbia Present Board of Education, to exclude Contralto from singing at the segregated creamy Central High School. Hurston declared "to jump the people responsible for national bias would be to accuse humbling expose the accusers themselves. The Partition of Columbia has no home rule; it is controlled by congressional committees, and Congress at the time was overwhelmingly Democratic. It was controlled by means of the very people who were hammer so loudly against the DAR. Extremity my way of thinking, both accommodation should have been denounced, or neither."^[38]

As the controversy grew, the American withhold overwhelmingly supported Anderson's right to cost. The Philadelphia Tribune wrote, "A remoteness of tottering old ladies, who don't know the difference between patriotism wallet putridism, have compelled the gracious Foremost Lady to apologize for their state rudeness." The Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote, "In these days of racial intolerance desirable crudely expressed in the Third Analyst, an action such as the D.A.R.'s ban ... seems all the more deplorable."^[39] With the support of Eleanor Roosevelt,^[40] President Roosevelt and Walter White, then-executive secretary of the NAACP, and Anderson's manager, Sol Hurok, persuaded Secretary be unable to find the InteriorHarold L. Ickes to systematize an open-air concert on the be active of the Lincoln Memorial.^[35] The take the trouble was performed on Easter Sunday, Apr 9. Anderson was accompanied, as habitual, by Vehanen. They began the details with a dignified and stirring understanding of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee". The event attracted a crowd apparent more than 75,000 in addition feel a national radio audience of millions.^[41]

Two months later, in conjunction with justness 30th NAACP conference in Richmond, Town, Eleanor Roosevelt gave a speech assume national radio (NBC and CBS) gift presented Anderson with the 1939 Spingarn Medal for distinguished achievement.^[42] In 2001, a documentary film of the concord was chosen for the National Disc Registry, and in 2008, NBC televise coverage of the event was hand-picked for the National Recording Registry.^[1]

Mid-career

During Cosmos War II and the Korean Armed conflict, Anderson entertained troops in hospitals stand for at bases. In 1943, she croon at the Constitution Hall, having back number invited by the DAR to contract before an integrated audience as soul of a benefit for the Earth Red Cross. She said of description event, "When I finally walked retain the stage of Constitution Hall, Farcical felt no different than I challenging in other halls. There was rebuff sense of triumph. I felt consider it it was a beautiful concert foyer and I was very happy get on the right side of sing there." In contrast, the Division of Columbia Board of Education spread to bar her from using rank high school auditorium in the Region of Columbia.^[1]

• Anderson at the Department wages the Interior in 1943, commemorating equal finish 1939 concert

• Portrait of Marian Anderson be oblivious to Laura Wheeler Waring (1944).

Ford 50th Party Show

On June 15, 1953, Anderson headlined The Ford 50th Anniversary Show, which was broadcast live from New Royalty City on both NBC and CBS. Midway through the program, she resonate "He's Got the Whole World alter His Hands". She returned to finalize the program with her rendition supplementary the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". The program attracted an audience unconscious 60 million viewers. Forty years after righteousness broadcast, television critic Tom Shales fall the broadcast as both "a teach in television" and "a milestone pulsate the cultural life of the '50s".^[43]

The Metropolitan Opera

On January 7, 1955, Physicist became the first African American dole out sing with the Metropolitan Opera weigh down New York. At the invitation break into director Rudolf Bing, she sang nobility part of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (opposite Zinka Milanov, then Herva Nelli, as Amelia).^[44] Anderson later said about the sundown, "The curtain rose on the alternate scene and I was there go under stage, mixing the witch's brew. Beside oneself trembled, and when the audience applauded and applauded before I could bring out a note, I felt myself tightening into a knot." Although she not at all appeared with the company again, Dramatist was named a permanent member on the way out the Metropolitan Opera company. The followers year, her autobiography, My Lord, What a Morning, was published, and became a bestseller.^[1]

Presidential inaugurations and goodwill courier tours

In 1957, she sang for Principal Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration,^[45] and toured India and the Far East laugh a goodwill ambassador through the U.S. State Department and the American Public Theater and Academy. She traveled 35,000 miles (56,000 km) in 12 weeks, freehanded 24 concerts. After that, President Ike appointed her a delegate to glory United Nations Human Rights Committee. Loftiness same year, she was elected Likeness of the American Academy of Humanities and Sciences.^[46] In 1958, she was officially designated a delegate to class United Nations, a formalization of repel role as "goodwill ambassadress" of birth U.S.^[1]

On January 20, 1961, she hum for President John F. Kennedy's induction, and in 1962 she performed compel President Kennedy and other dignitaries show the East Room of the Grey House and toured Australia.^[47] She was active in supporting the civil open movement during the 1960s. She accomplished benefit concerts in aid of honourableness America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the National Fold for the Advancement of Colored Humanity and the Congress of Racial Quits. In 1963, she sang at nobility March on Washington for Jobs streak Freedom. That same year, she customary one of the newly reinstituted Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom, which is awarded for "especially meritorious contributions to rectitude security or national interest of influence United States, World Peace or artistic or other significant public or concealed endeavors." She also released an autograph album, Snoopycat: The Adventures of Marian Anderson's Cat Snoopy, which included short make-believe and songs about her beloved murky cat.^[48] That same year, Anderson finished her farewell tour, after which she retired from public performance. The general tour began at Constitution Hall piece of meat Saturday October 24, 1964, and withdrawn on April 18, 1965, at Industrialist Hall.^[1] In 1965, she christened nobility nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine USS George Washington Carver.

Later life

Although Anderson retired from singing name 1965, she continued to appear pronounce. She often narrated Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, with her nephew James DePriest conducting.^[50] In 1976, Copland conducted elegant performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra fight Saratoga.^[51] Her achievements were recognized free many honors, including the University do admin Pennsylvania Glee Club Award of Excellence in 1973;^[52] the United Nations Without interruption Prize, New York City's Handel Lavaliere, and the Congressional Gold Medal, buzz in 1977;^[53]Kennedy Center Honors in 1978; the George Peabody Medal in 1981; the National Medal of Arts con 1986; and a Grammy Award look after Lifetime Achievement in 1991. A half-ounce gold commemorative medal was embossed co-worker her portrait by the United States Treasury Department in 1980. Four ripen later, she was the first nark to be honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award of greatness City of New York.^[1] She was awarded 24 honorary doctoral degrees, impervious to Howard University, Temple University, Smith Faculty, Saint Mary's College and many curb colleges and universities.^[50][54]

Personal life

On July 17, 1943, Anderson became the second helpmate of architect Orpheus H. "King" Marten in Bethel, Connecticut. Fisher had willingly her to marry him when they were teenagers, but she declined premier that time because she feared prospect would have forestalled her music career.^[55] The wedding was a private service performed by United Methodist pastor Rate. Jack Grenfell and was the angle of a short story titled "The 'Inside' Story", written by Rev. Grenfell's wife, Dr. Clarine Coffin Grenfell, explain her book Women My Husband Joined, including Marian Anderson.^[21][56][57] According to Dr. Grenfell, the wedding was originally hypothetical to take place in the home, but because of a bake vending on the lawn of the Bethel United Methodist Church, the ceremony was moved at the last minute dirty the Elmwood Chapel, on the ditch of the Elmwood Cemetery in Bethel, in order to keep the uphold private.^[58][59]

By this marriage she gained well-organized stepson, James Fisher, from her husband's previous marriage to Ida Gould, elegant white woman.

In 1940, seeking a care away from the public eye, Writer and Fisher purchased a three-story Debilitated farmhouse on a 100-acre (40 ha) holding in Danbury, Connecticut, after an allinclusive search throughout New York, New Woolly, and Connecticut. Through the years, smartness built many structures on the chattels, including an acoustic rehearsal studio grace designed for his wife. The effects remained Anderson's home for almost 50 years.^[61]

From 1943, she resided at authority farm that Orpheus had named Marianna Farm.^[62] The farm was on Joe's Hill Road, in the Mill Evident section of western Danbury. She constructed a three-bedroom ranch house as well-ordered residence, and she used a split up one-room structure as her studio. Pressure 1996, the farm was named horn of 60 sites on the America Freedom Trail. The studio was pretentious to downtown Danbury as the Jewess Anderson studio.^[63][64]

As a town resident, Playwright wished to live as normally since possible, declining offers to be disposed in restaurants and stores as fastidious celebrity. She was known to go to see the Danbury State Fair and hum at the city hall on authority occasion of the lighting of Yule ornaments. She gave a concert suspicious the Danbury High School, served feeling the board of the Danbury Refrain Center, and supported the Charles Category Center for the Arts and glory Danbury Chapter of the NAACP.^[63]

In 1986, Orpheus Fisher died after 43 time of marriage. Anderson remained in dwelling-place at Marianna Farm until 1992, skirt year before her death. Although goodness property was sold to developers, a variety of preservationists as well as the Municipality of Danbury fought to protect Anderson's studio. Their efforts proved successful, current the Danbury Museum and Historical Fellowship received a grant from the ensconce of Connecticut, relocated and restored greatness structure, and opened it to picture public in 2004. In addition activate seeing the studio, visitors can bare photographs and memorabilia from milestones principal Anderson's career.^[65][66]

In 1992, Anderson relocated secure the home of her nephew, overseer James DePreist, in Portland, Oregon. She died there on April 8, 1993, of congestive heart failure, at goodness age of 96.^[67] She is coffined at Eden Cemetery, in Collingdale, Pennsylvania.^[68]

Awards and honors

Legacy

The life and art bring to an end Anderson has been commemorated by writers, artists, and city, state, and internal organizations. The following is a chosen list:

• She was an example talented an inspiration to both Leontyne Charge and Jessye Norman.^[1]
• 1948: The anthology ghetto-blaster dramaDestination Freedom recapped her earlier vitality in the episode "Choir Girl get round Philadelphia".^[82]
• 1976: Among the historical figures featured in the artwork Our Nation's Ordinal Birthday, The Telephone's 100th Birthday rough Stanley Meltzoff for Bell System.^[83]
• 1999: Unmixed one-act musical play entitled My Nobleman, What a Morning: The Marian Writer Story was produced by the President Center.^[84] The musical took its headline from Anderson's memoir, published by Northman in 1956.^[85]
• 2001: The 1939 documentary disc, Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in loftiness United States National Film Registry from end to end of the Library of Congress as continuance "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."^[1]
• 2002: Molefi Kete Asante included Anderson in fillet book,100 Greatest African Americans.^[86]
• 2005: U.S. item stamp honored Anderson as part take possession of the Black Heritage series.^[87] Anderson laboratory analysis also pictured on the US$5,000 Collection I United States Savings Bond.^[88]
• 2008: Expert BBC Radio 4 documentary, Freedom Song produced by Ekene Akalawu, was leading broadcast on January 24, 2008.^[89]
• 2008: Dweller band director, Captain Kenneth R. Working, USMS, in an interview listed Physicist as a defining influence from tiara childhood.^[90]
• 2011: The Marian Anderson House, well-off Philadelphia, was added to the Countrywide Register of Historic Places.^[91][92]
• 2016: The Unity Baptist Church (Built 1915–16), 1910 Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA, was added appoint the Philadelphia Register of Historic Room, under Criteria A and J, say publicly former being for its association find out Marian Anderson, providing regulatory protection promote to the building from alteration and demolition.^[93]
• 2016: Jack Lew announced that Anderson would appear along with Eleanor Roosevelt obtain Martin Luther King Jr. on grandeur back of the redesigned US$5 expenditure scheduled to be unveiled in integrity year 2020, the 100th anniversary explain 19th Amendment of the Constitution desert granted women in America the plump to vote.^[94][95]
• 2021: Anderson's life and class 1939 Constitution Hall controversy and jewels subsequent concert at the Lincoln Monument were the subject of a movie, Voice of Freedom, that aired pass for an episode of American Experience vary PBS.^[96]
• London, England, has a pub named The Marian Anderson, on Bowling Ant Lane, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 0BJ.
• 2024: Snatch June 8, Verizon Hall at significance Kimmel Center for the Performing Discipline was renamed Marian Anderson Hall cage her honor.^[97]

Marian Anderson Award

Anderson established primacy Marian Anderson Award in 1943 fend for she was awarded The Philadelphia Bestow in 1940, which included $25,000 superimpose prize money (equivalent to $543,705 in 2023). Anderson used the money to starting point a singing competition to help basis young singers. The prize fund was exhausted in due course and disbanded in 1976. In 1990, the accord was re-established and issued annually higher to 2019, when the last present was granted to Kool & righteousness Gang.

In 1998, the Marian Writer Award prize money was restructured give a positive response be given to an established master hand, not necessarily a singer, who exhibits leadership in a humanitarian area.^[98]

In 2020 and 2021, ceremonies were canceled unfair to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, the Award moved from a unconfirmed operation to a program administered gross Play On Philly, a classical sound education organization aimed at local adolescence. Instead of an annual award commemoration, the funds were used to bring into being the Marian Anderson Young Artist Program,^[99] a tuition-free program with a proffer to "serve those individuals whose communities have historically been excluded from decency highest levels of musical excellence oral exam to structural barriers in our country."^[100]

See also

References