photo of Anderson by Carl Van Vechten (1940)

Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993),^[1] was an American contralto, perhaps best remembered for her performance on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.. Carl Van Vechten ( June 17, 1880 &ndash December 21, 1964) was an American Writer and Photographer who was a Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alto is a musical term derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" that has several possible interpretations Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lincoln Memorial is a United States Presidential memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Biography

Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of John Rucker Anderson and the former Anna Delilah Rucker. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Two sisters followed young Marian, Alice (later spelled Alyce) (1899-1965) and Ethel (1902-1990) who also became singers. Ethel Anderson was mother to James DePreist. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> James Anderson DePreist (born November 21, 1936; Marian Anderson joined a junior church choir at the age of six, and applied to an all-white music school after her graduation from high school in 1921, but was turned away because she was black. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers High school is the name used in some parts of the world (in particular Scotland, North America and Australia) to describe an institution The woman working the admissions counter replied, "We don't take colored" when she tried to apply. Consequently, she continued her singing studies with a private teacher. She debuted with the New York Philharmonic on August 26, 1925 and scored an immediate success, also with the critics. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1928, she sang for the first time at Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east Her reputation was further advanced by her tour through Europe in the early 1930s where she did not encounter the racial prejudices she had experienced in America. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression.

Anderson at the Department of the Interior, commemorating her 1939 concert

The famed conductor Arturo Toscanini told her she had a voice "heard once in a hundred years. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Arturo Toscanini (ɑrˈturɔ ˌtɔskɑˈnini (March 25 1867 &ndash January " In 1934,^[2] impresario Sol Hurok offered her a better contract than she had previously had with Arthur Judson. Sol Hurok ( Solomon Isiaevich Hurok; born Solomon Izrailevich Gurkov Russian Соломон Израилевич Гурков ( April 9, 1888 Arthur Leon Judson was an artists' manager who also managed the New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. Hurok became her manager for the rest of her performing career.

In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused permission for Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR is a lineage -based membership organization of women dedicated to promoting Historic preservation, Education DAR Constitution Hall is a Concert hall in Washington DC It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention The District of Columbia Board of Education declined a request to use the auditorium of a white public high school. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D As a result of the ensuing furor, thousands of DAR members, including First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, resigned. First Lady is a term used in the United States to describe the wife of an elected male Head of state. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (ˈɛlɪnɔr ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 11 1884 &ndash November 7 1962 ^[3]

The Roosevelts, with Walter White, then-executive secretary of the NAACP, and Anderson's manager, impresario Sol Hurok, then persuaded Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes to arrange an open air Marian Anderson concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. For the football player of the same name see Walter White (football player. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations Impresario, from the Italian impresa an enterprise or undertaking is a traditional term still very much in use in the Entertainment industry for Sol Hurok ( Solomon Isiaevich Hurok; born Solomon Izrailevich Gurkov Russian Соломон Израилевич Гурков ( April 9, 1888 The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. Harold LeClair Ickes ( March 15, 1874 &ndash February 3, 1952) was a United States administrator and Politician The Lincoln Memorial is a United States Presidential memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. ^[3] The concert, commencing with a dignified and stirring rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" attracted a crowd of more 75,000 of all colors and was a sensation with a national radio audience of millions. " My Country 'Tis of Thee " also known as " America " is an American Patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis ^[4]

Anderson performing at the Lincoln Memorial

The concert mentioned above was held on Easter Sunday in 1939. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Anderson was accompanied by the Finnish accompanist Kosti Vehanen, who introduced Marian to Jean Sibelius in 1933. ^[5] Sibelius was overwhelmed with Anderson's performance and asked his wife to bring champagne in place of the traditional coffee. At this moment Sibelius started altering and composing songs for Anderson, who was delighted to have met a musician of Sibelius' magnitude, who felt that she had been able to penetrate the Nordic soul.

In 1939 Sibelius made a new arrangement of the song Solitude and dedicated it to Anderson. Originally The Jewish Girl's Song from his 1906 incidental music to Belshazzar's Feast, this later became the “Solitude” section of the orchestral suite derived from the incidental music. ^[6][7]

In 1943, Anderson sang at the invitation of the DAR to an integrated audience at Constitution Hall as part of a benefit for the American Red Cross. DAR Constitution Hall is a Concert hall in Washington DC It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention The American Red Cross (also known as the American National Red Cross) is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance disaster relief and education inside By contrast, the federal government continued to bar her from using the high school auditorium in the District of Columbia. This same year Anderson married architect Orpheus Fisher. The couple purchased a 100 acre farm in Danbury, Connecticut three years earlier in 1940 after an exhaustive search throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Many purchases were attempted but thwarted by property sellers due to racial discrimination. The Danbury property transaction was initially disputed by the seller as well, after he discovered the couple was African American. Through the years Fisher built many outbuildings on the property that became known as Marianna Farm, including an accoustic rehearsal studio he designed for his wife. The compound remained Anderson & Fisher's home for over 50 years. Fisher died in 1986 and Anderson remained in residence at Marianna Farm until one year before her death in 1992. Although the bucolic property was sold to developers, various preservationists as well as the City of Danbury fought to protect Anderson's studio. Their efforts proved successful and the Danbury Museum and Historical Society relocated the structure, restored it and opened it to the public in 2004.

On January 7, 1955, Anderson broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. On that occasion, she sang the part of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball, is an Opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. ^[8]

In 1958 she was officially designated delegate to the United Nations, a formalization of her role as "goodwill ambassador" of the U. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security S. she played earlier, and in 1972 she was awarded the UN Peace Prize.

Later life

After an extensive farewell tour, she retired from singing in 1965. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. However, she continued to appear publicly, narrating Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, including a performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga in 1976, conducted by the composer. Aaron Copland (November 14 1900 &ndash December 2 1990 was an American Composer of concert and film music as well as an accomplished Pianist. Lincoln Portrait is an Orchestral work written by the American composer Aaron Copland. The Philadelphia Orchestra is an Orchestra based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in the United States. Her achievements were recognized and honored with many prizes, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978 and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991. The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to artists in the performing arts The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "performers who during their lifetimes have made creative contributions of outstanding

In 1993, Anderson died of heart failure at age 96 in Portland, Oregon at the home of her nephew, conductor James DePreist. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> James Anderson DePreist (born November 21, 1936; She is interred at Eden Cemetery, in Collingdale, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Eden Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery located in Collingdale, Delaware Country, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Collingdale is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə

In 2001, the 1939 documentary film, Marian Anderson: the Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Marian Anderson the Lincoln Memorial Concert is a 1939 Documentary film which documents a concert performance by African American Opera The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress

On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored Marian Anderson as part of the Black Heritage series. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article lists people who have been featured on United States Postage stamps Since the United States Post Office issued its first stamp in 1847 over 4000 stamps have been issued and Anderson is also pictured on the US$5,000 Series I United States Savings Bond. Treasury securities are Government bonds issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt.

Anderson is a recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult award given by the Boy Scouts of America. The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA) is the largest youth organization in the United States with over five million

Anderson symbolized the civil rights movement with dignity and grace; she was the first African-American to be named a permanent member of Metropolitan Opera Company and was a frequent performer at the White House. During the World War II and the Korean War, Marian Anderson participated by entertaining the troops in hospitals and bases. By 1956 she had performed over one thousand times. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1963 she was one of the original 31 recipients of the newly reinstituted Presidential Medal of Freedom (which is awarded for "especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interest of the United States, World Peace or cultural or other significant public or private endeavors"), and in 1965 she christened the nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine, USS George Washington Carver. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed

Marian Anderson Award

The Marian Anderson Award is given to an artist who exhibits leadership in a humanitarian area. The award was first given in 1998. ^[9]

Awardees by year:^[10]

• 1998 - Harry Belafonte
• 1999 - Gregory Peck
• 2000 - Elizabeth Taylor
• 2001 - Quincy Jones
• 2002 - Danny Glover
• 2003 - Oprah Winfrey
• 2005 - Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis
• 2006 - Sidney Poitier
• 2007 - Richard Gere

Depictions in fiction

Anderson's 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial forms a centrepoint of Richard Powers's novel The Time of Our Singing. Harold George Belafonte Jr (born March 1 1927 is an American musician actor and Social activist. Gregory Peck (April 5 1916 &ndash June 12 2003 was an Academy Award -winning and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American Film Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -winning English-American actress Quincy Delight Jones Jr (born March 14, 1933) also known as Q, is an American Music Impresario, conductor Danny Lebern Glover (born July 22 1946 is an American Actor, Film director, and Political activist. Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29 1954 often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American Ruby Dee (born October 27, 1924) is an American Actress, Poet, Playwright, Screenwriter, Journalist Ossie Davis ( December 18 1917 – February 4 2005) was an American Film Actor, director, Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE (ˈpwɑːtie born February 20, 1927) is an Oscar - Golden Globe - BAFTA - and Grammy Richard Tiffany Gere (born August 31, 1949) is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning American Actor. Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) is an American Novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology The Time of Our Singing (2003 is a novel by American writer Richard Powers.

See also

• List of African American firsts

References

Detailed research

• Freedman, Russell, The Voice that Challenged a Nation (Clarion Books, New York, 2004)
• Keiler, Allan, Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey. Scribner, 2002. Charles Scribner's Sons is a publisher The firm published Scribner's Magazine for many years ISBN 0-25207-067-4.
• Sims, Janet L, An Annoted Bibliography and Discography (Greenwood Press, Connecticut, 1981)
• Voice of America segment on Marian Anderson
• Online exhibition University of Pennsylvania Library, largest online collection of images, includes Anderson's papers, audio and film archives.
• Marian Anderson Historical Society

Biographical entries

• Hamilton, David. (1987). The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Opera. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo: Simon and Schuster. p. 22. ISBN 0-671-61732-X.
• Hamilton, Mary. (1990). A-Z of Opera. New York, Oxford, Sydney: Facts On File. p. 17. ISBN 0-8160-2340-9.
• Rosenthal, Harold and John Warrack. (1979, 2nd ed. ). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. London, New York and Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 11. ISBN 0-19-311318-X.
• Sadie, Stanley and Christina Bashford. (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Vol. 1, p. 123. ISBN 0-935859-92-6.
• Sadie, Stanley and John Tyrrell. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Vol. 1, p. 615. ISBN 0-333-60800-3.
• Warrack, John and Ewan West. (1996 3rd ed. ). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-19-280028-0.

• Kennedy Center, "Biography of Marian Anderson"
• Virtual Museum of History, "Marian Anderson"
• FemBio, "Marian Anderson"
• Bach Cantatas, "Biography and Bach Cantatas Recordings"
• Carlton Higginbotham, "Biography of Marian Anderson"

External links

• Marian Anderson Historical Society, operates the Marian Anderson Museum and Birthplace in Philadelphia
• Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks
• Metropolitan Opera performances (MetOpera database)
• Marian Anderson at Find A Grave