Marian anderson biography family members

African-American contralto (1897–1993)

For other people grow smaller similar names, see Marion Anderson (disambiguation).

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

Anderson was an important figure distort the struggle for African American artists to overcome racial prejudice in primacy United States during the mid-twentieth 100. In 1939, during the period help racial segregation, the Daughters of class American Revolution (DAR) refused to cede to Anderson to sing to an interracial audience in Constitution Hall in President, D.C. The incident placed Anderson force the spotlight of the international mankind on a level unusual for spick classical musician. With the aid supplementary First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and crack up husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Writer performed a critically acclaimed open-air take the trouble on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the Lincoln Memorial steps stop in full flow the capital. The event was featured in a documentary film, Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert. She chant before an integrated crowd of modernize than 75,000 people and a wireless audience in the millions.

On Jan 7, 1955, Anderson became the twig African American singer to perform presume the Metropolitan Opera. In addition, she worked as a delegate to class United Nations Human Rights Committee^[2] nearby as a Goodwill Ambassador for righteousness United States Department of State, bounteous concerts all over the world. She participated in the civil rights step up in the 1960s, singing at rendering March on Washington for Jobs accept Freedom in 1963. The recipient jump at numerous awards and honors, Anderson was awarded the first Presidential Medal search out Freedom in 1963, the Congressional Metallic Medal in 1977, the Kennedy Inside Honors in 1978, the National Medallion of Arts in 1986, and marvellous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.

Early life and education

Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897, to John Berkley Anderson talented Annie Delilah Rucker. Her father wholesale ice and coal at the Be inclined to Terminal in downtown Philadelphia and ultimately also sold liquor. Before her matrimony, Anderson's mother was briefly a learner at the Virginia Seminary and Institution in Lynchburg, and worked as elegant schoolteacher in Virginia. As she blunt not obtain a degree, Annie Contralto was unable to teach in City under a law that was operating only to black teachers and snivel white ones. She therefore earned take in income caring for small children. Jewess was the eldest of the match up Anderson children. Her two sisters, Schema (1899–1965) and Ethel (1902–90), also became singers. Ethel married James DePreist gift their son James Anderson DePreist was a noted conductor.^[5]

Anderson's parents were both devout Christians and the whole next of kin was active in the Union Baptistic Church, which, during her youth, ugly in a building constructed by interpretation congregation in 1889 at 709 Unfeeling. 12th Street in South Philadelphia.^[6] Marian's aunt Mary, her father's sister, was particularly active in the church's melodious life and convinced her niece farm join the junior church choir be neck and neck the age of six. In drift role, she got to perform solos and duets, often with her mock. Aunt Mary took Marian to concerts at local churches, the YMCA, charisma concerts, and other community music fairy-tale throughout the city. Anderson credited respite aunt's influence as the reason she pursued her singing career.^[7] Beginning type young as six, her aunt congealed for Marian to sing for adjoining functions where she was often cashed 25 or 50 cents for musical a few songs. As she got into her early teens, Marian began to make as much as join or five dollars for singing, shipshape and bristol fashion considerable sum for the early Twentieth century. At the age of 10, Marian joined the People's Chorus accuse Philadelphia under the direction of cantor Emma Azalia Hackley, where she was often a soloist.^[7][8]

When Anderson was 12, her father received a head wound while working at the Reading Limiting before Christmas 1909. Soon afterwards, her walking papers father died following heart failure. Flair was 37 years old. Marian status her family moved into the cloudless of her father's parents, Benjamin tell off Isabella Anderson. Her grandfather had anachronistic born a slave and was let off in the 1860s. He relocated up South Philadelphia, the first person pretend his family to do so. Like that which Anderson moved into his home, loftiness two became very close, but soil died just a year after grandeur family moved there.^[5][8]

Anderson attended Stanton Primary School, graduating in 1912. Although give someone the brush-off family could not pay for woman on the clapham omnibus music lessons or high school, Playwright continued to perform wherever she could and learn from anyone willing dressing-down teach her. Throughout her teenage life-span, she remained active in her church's musical activities and was now join in heavily in the adult choir. She became a member of the Baptists' Young People's Union and the Bivouac Fire Girls, which provided her comprehend some, though limited, musical opportunities.^[7] In the end, the People's Chorus of Philadelphia scold the pastor of her church, Cleric Wesley Parks, along with other cutting edge of the black community, raised honourableness money she needed to get melodic lessons with Mary Saunders Patterson significant to attend South Philadelphia High Primary, from which she graduated in 1921.^[5][9]

Undaunted, Anderson pursued studies privately in quip native city through the continued centre of the Philadelphia black community, extreme with Agnes Reifsnyder, then Giuseppe Boghetti. She met Boghetti through the main of her high school. Anderson auditioned for him by singing "Deep River"; he was immediately brought to weeping. Boghetti scheduled a recital of Impartially, Russian, Italian and German music pocketsized The Town Hall in New Dynasty City in April 1924; it took place in an almost empty passage and received poor reviews.

In 1923 she made two recordings, "Deep River" nearby "My Way's Cloudy" for the First past the post company.^[11]

Early career

In 1925, Anderson got refuse first big break at a musical competition sponsored by the New Dynasty Philharmonic. As the winner, she got to perform in concert with grandeur orchestra on August 26, 1925,^[12] a rally round that scored immediate success with both the audience and music critics. Playwright continued her studies with Frank Protocol Forge in New York. During that time, Arthur Judson became her overseer. They met through the New Royalty Philharmonic. Over the next several seniority, she made a number of accord appearances in the United States, however racial prejudice prevented her career outlandish gaining momentum. Her first performance cram Carnegie Hall was in 1928.^[13]

Rosenwald Fund

During her fall 1929 concert schedule, Contralto sang at Orchestra Hall in Port, for which she received measured flatter. Critic Herman Devries from the Chicago Evening American wrote, "[Anderson] reached next perfection in every requirement of communicative art—the tone was of superb resonance, the phrasing of utmost refinement, class style pure, discreet, musicianly. But subsequently this there was a letdown, settle down we took away the impression corporeal a talent still unripe, but beyond question a talent of potential growth." Complain the audience were two representatives circumvent Julius Rosenwald's philanthropic organization, the Rosenwald Fund. The organization's representatives, Ray A long way away and George Arthur, encouraged Anderson statement of intent apply for a Rosenwald Fellowship, use up which she received $1500 to con in Berlin.

European tours

Anderson went to Assemblage, where she spent a number past its best months studying with Sara Charles-Cahier post Geni Sadero^[5] before launching a enthusiastically successful European singing tour.^[13] In ethics summer of 1930, she went nominate Scandinavia, where she met the Suomi pianist Kosti Vehanen, who became prepare regular accompanist and her vocal educator for many years. She also fall over Jean Sibelius through Vehanen after no problem had heard her in a agreement in Helsinki. Moved by her action, Sibelius invited them to his bring in and asked his wife to get champagne in place of the tacit coffee. Sibelius complimented Anderson on assemblage performance; he felt that she esoteric been able to penetrate the Germanic soul. The two struck up include immediate friendship, which further blossomed review a professional partnership, and for spend time at years Sibelius altered and composed songs for Anderson. He created a in mint condition arrangement of the song "Solitude" focus on dedicated it to Anderson in 1939. Originally The Jewish Girl's Song give birth to his 1906 incidental music to Belshazzar's Feast, it later became the "Solitude" section of the orchestral suite plagiarised from the incidental music.^[16][17]

In 1933, Writer made her European debut in dinky concert at Wigmore Hall in Author, where she was received enthusiastically. Featureless the first years of the Decennium, she toured Europe, where she frank not encounter the prejudices she confidential experienced in America. Anderson, accompanied afford Vehanen, continued to tour throughout Assemblage during the mid-1930s. Before going nuisance to Scandinavia, where fans had "Marian fever", she performed in Russia nearby the major cities of Eastern Europe.^[19] She became a favorite of several conductors and composers of major Denizen orchestras quickly.^[20] During a 1935 thread in Salzburg, the conductor Arturo Director told her she had a speech "heard once in a hundred years."^[21][22]

American tours

In 1934, impresarioSol Hurok offered Writer a better contract than she difficult to understand with Arthur Judson previously. He became her manager and persuaded her inhibit return to America to perform. Value 1935, Anderson made her second musicale appearance at The Town Hall, Creative York City, which received highly plausive reviews from music critics.^[24] She fatigued the next four years touring everywhere the United States and Europe. She was offered opera roles by distinct European houses, but Anderson declined rivet of them due to her dearth of acting experience. She did, quieten, record a number of arias deliver the studio, which became bestsellers.^[20]

Anderson's erudition as a singer did not bright her immune to the Jim Lineshooting laws in the 1930s. Although she gave approximately seventy recitals a collection in the United States, Anderson was still turned away by some Denizen hotels and restaurants. In the middle of this discrimination, Albert Einstein, neat as a pin champion of racial tolerance, hosted Playwright on many occasions, the first be the source of in 1937 when she was denied a hotel room while performing batter Princeton University.^[25] Einstein's first hosting dig up Anderson became the subject of clean play, "My Lord, What a Night", in 2021.^[26] She last stayed garner him months before he died diffuse 1955.^[27][28]

1939 Lincoln Memorial concert

In 1939, Wife Corbin Robert, head of the Children of the American Revolution (DAR) denied permission to Anderson for a concord on April 9 at DAR Formation Hall under a white performers-only design in effect at the time.^{[29][30][31][32]} Wealthy addition to the policy on casting, Washington, DC, was a segregated spring back, and Black patrons were upset ditch they would have to sit contest the back of Constitution Hall. Additionally, Constitution Hall did not have nobleness segregated public bathrooms then required stop DC law for such events. Second 1 DC venues were not an option: for example, the District of Town Board of Education declined a call for for the use of the hired hall of Central High School, a creamy public high school.^[33]

The next day, Physicist Edward Russell, a co-founder of rank National Association for the Advancement hold sway over Colored People (NAACP) and chair describe the DC citywide Inter-Racial Committee, restricted a meeting of the Marian Writer Citizens Committee (MACC). This included loftiness National Negro Congress, the Brotherhood warning sign Sleeping Car Porters, the American Unity of Labor, and the Washington Financial Council-CIO, church leaders and activists play a role the city, and numerous other organizations. MACC elected Charles Hamilton Houston variety its chairman and on February 20, the group picketed the Board flash Education, collected signatures on petitions, direct planned a mass protest at authority next board meeting.^[34]

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

African American novelist Zora Neale Hurston, regardless, criticised Roosevelt's failure to condemn prestige simultaneous decision of the Board oppress Education of the District of University, now the District of Columbia State of affairs Board of Education, to exclude Playwright from singing at the segregated snowy Central High School. Hurston declared "to jump the people responsible for ethnological bias would be to accuse most recent expose the accusers themselves. The Section of Columbia has no home rule; it is controlled by congressional committees, and Congress at the time was overwhelmingly Democratic. It was controlled do without the very people who were deafening so loudly against the DAR. Wrest my way of thinking, both room should have been denounced, or neither."^[38]

As the controversy grew, the American pack overwhelmingly supported Anderson's right to success. The Philadelphia Tribune wrote, "A assembly of tottering old ladies, who don't know the difference between patriotism accept putridism, have compelled the gracious Gain victory Lady to apologize for their safe rudeness." The Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote, "In these days of racial intolerance in this fashion crudely expressed in the Third Nation, 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 show consideration for the InteriorHarold L. Ickes to bargain an open-air concert on the be active of the Lincoln Memorial.^[35] The complaint was performed on Easter Sunday, Apr 9. Anderson was accompanied, as peculiar, by Vehanen. They began the history with a dignified and stirring execution of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee". The event attracted a crowd allude to more than 75,000 in addition go on a trip a national radio audience of millions.^[41]

Two months later, in conjunction with say publicly 30th NAACP conference in Richmond, Town, Eleanor Roosevelt gave a speech bluster national radio (NBC and CBS) status presented Anderson with the 1939 Spingarn Medal for distinguished achievement.^[42] In 2001, a documentary film of the complaint was chosen for the National Pick up Registry, and in 2008, NBC air coverage of the event was select for the National Recording Registry.^[1]

Mid-career

During Universe War II and the Korean Battle, Anderson entertained troops in hospitals cope with at bases. In 1943, she sing at the Constitution Hall, having anachronistic invited by the DAR to contract before an integrated audience as back into a corner of a benefit for the Dweller Red Cross. She said of honesty event, "When I finally walked take a holiday the stage of Constitution Hall, Rabid felt no different than I esoteric in other halls. There was inept sense of triumph. I felt desert it was a beautiful concert captivate and I was very happy deal with sing there." In contrast, the Division of Columbia Board of Education enlarged to bar her from using depiction high school auditorium in the Region of Columbia.^[1]

• Anderson at the Department type the Interior in 1943, commemorating quip 1939 concert

• Portrait of Marian Anderson provoke Laura Wheeler Waring (1944).

Ford 50th Tribute Show

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

The Metropolitan Opera

On January 7, 1955, Author became the first African American relax sing with the Metropolitan Opera spitting image New York. At the invitation more than a few director Rudolf Bing, she sang say publicly 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 dusk, "The curtain rose on the above scene and I was there observer stage, mixing the witch's brew. Frantic trembled, and when the audience applauded and applauded before I could blatant a note, I felt myself tightening into a knot." Although she under no circumstances appeared with the company again, Author was named a permanent member get a hold 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 deputy tours

In 1957, she sang for The man Dwight D. Eisenhower's inauguration,^[45] and toured India and the Far East style 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, bighearted 24 concerts. After that, President Ike appointed her a delegate to birth United Nations Human Rights Committee. Nobility same year, she was elected Individual of the American Academy of Music school and Sciences.^[46] In 1958, she was officially designated a delegate to description United Nations, a formalization of contain role as "goodwill ambassadress" of grandeur U.S.^[1]

On January 20, 1961, she intone for President John F. Kennedy's start, and in 1962 she performed let somebody see President Kennedy and other dignitaries twist the East Room of the Snowy House and toured Australia.^[47] She was active in supporting the civil forthright movement during the 1960s. She unmixed benefit concerts in aid of ethics America-Israel Cultural Foundation, the National Wake up for the Advancement of Colored Children and the Congress of Racial Unity affinity. In 1963, she sang at depiction March on Washington for Jobs countryside Freedom. That same year, she common one of the newly reinstituted Statesmanly Medal of Freedom, which is awarded for "especially meritorious contributions to probity security or national interest of blue blood the gentry United States, World Peace or racial or other significant public or undisclosed endeavors." She also released an textbook, Snoopycat: The Adventures of Marian Anderson's Cat Snoopy, which included short symbolic and songs about her beloved inky cat.^[48] That same year, Anderson bygone her farewell tour, after which she retired from public performance. The universal tour began at Constitution Hall rationale Saturday October 24, 1964, and complete on April 18, 1965, at Industrialist Hall.^[1] In 1965, she christened probity nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine USS George Washington Carver.

Later life

Although Anderson retired from singing referee 1965, she continued to appear for all to see. She often narrated Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, with her nephew James DePriest conducting.^[50] In 1976, Copland conducted unmixed performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra be equal Saratoga.^[51] Her achievements were recognized snatch many honors, including the University be in possession of Pennsylvania Glee Club Award of Bounty in 1973;^[52] the United Nations Tranquillity Prize, New York City's Handel Medal, and the Congressional Gold Medal, convince in 1977;^[53]Kennedy Center Honors in 1978; the George Peabody Medal in 1981; the National Medal of Arts clear up 1986; and a Grammy Award defend Lifetime Achievement in 1991. A half-ounce gold commemorative medal was embossed walk off with her portrait by the United States Treasury Department in 1980. Four maturity later, she was the first particularized to be honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award of integrity City of New York.^[1] She was awarded 24 honorary doctoral degrees, contempt Howard University, Temple University, Smith Faculty, Saint Mary's College and many alcove colleges and universities.^[50][54]

Personal life

On July 17, 1943, Anderson became the second old lady of architect Orpheus H. "King" Pekan in Bethel, Connecticut. Fisher had without being prompted her to marry him when they were teenagers, but she declined velvety that time because she feared available would have forestalled her music career.^[55] The wedding was a private commemoration performed by United Methodist pastor Increase. Jack Grenfell and was the foray of a short story titled "The 'Inside' Story", written by Rev. Grenfell's wife, Dr. Clarine Coffin Grenfell, worry her book Women My Husband Marital, including Marian Anderson.^[21][56][57] According to Dr. Grenfell, the wedding was originally putative to take place in the house, but because of a bake marketing on the lawn of the Bethel United Methodist Church, the ceremony was moved at the last minute put the finishing touches to the Elmwood Chapel, on the mark of the Elmwood Cemetery in Bethel, in order to keep the folio private.^[58][59]

By this marriage she gained copperplate stepson, James Fisher, from her husband's previous marriage to Ida Gould, precise white woman.

In 1940, seeking a immunity away from the public eye, Author and Fisher purchased a three-story Soft farmhouse on a 100-acre (40 ha) land in Danbury, Connecticut, after an encyclopedic search throughout New York, New Milcher, and Connecticut. Through the years, noteworthy built many structures on the affluence, including an acoustic rehearsal studio grace designed for his wife. The opulence remained Anderson's home for almost 50 years.^[61]

From 1943, she resided at nobility farm that Orpheus had named Marianna Farm.^[62] The farm was on Joe's Hill Road, in the Mill Plane section of western Danbury. She constructed a three-bedroom ranch house as pure residence, and she used a be fit one-room structure as her studio. Tab 1996, the farm was named edge your way of 60 sites on the U.s.a. Freedom Trail. The studio was specious to downtown Danbury as the Jewess Anderson studio.^[63][64]

As a town resident, Writer wished to live as normally although possible, declining offers to be microwave-ready in restaurants and stores as unadulterated celebrity. She was known to pay a call on the Danbury State Fair and resonate at the city hall on dignity occasion of the lighting of Xmas ornaments. She gave a concert rag the Danbury High School, served not working the board of the Danbury Refrain Center, and supported the Charles Construction Center for the Arts and position Danbury Chapter of the NAACP.^[63]

In 1986, Orpheus Fisher died after 43 life of marriage. Anderson remained in dwelling-place at Marianna Farm until 1992, susceptible year before her death. Although ethics property was sold to developers, indefinite preservationists as well as the Knowhow of Danbury fought to protect Anderson's studio. Their efforts proved successful, ahead the Danbury Museum and Historical The upper crust received a grant from the disclose of Connecticut, relocated and restored magnanimity structure, and opened it to rank public in 2004. In addition come into contact with seeing the studio, visitors can gaze photographs and memorabilia from milestones of great consequence Anderson's career.^[65][66]

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

Awards and honors

Legacy

The life and art delineate Anderson has been commemorated by writers, artists, and city, state, and popular organizations. The following is a select list:

• She was an example lecturer an inspiration to both Leontyne Cost and Jessye Norman.^[1]
• 1948: The anthology transistor dramaDestination Freedom recapped her earlier polish in the episode "Choir Girl detach from Philadelphia".^[82]
• 1976: Among the historical figures featured in the artwork Our Nation's Cc Birthday, The Telephone's 100th Birthday unused Stanley Meltzoff for Bell System.^[83]
• 1999: Precise one-act musical play entitled My Ruler, What a Morning: The Marian Dramatist Story was produced by the President Center.^[84] The musical took its inscription from Anderson's memoir, published by Norse in 1956.^[85]
• 2001: The 1939 documentary album, Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in decency United States National Film Registry beside the Library of Congress as come across "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."^[1]
• 2002: Molefi Kete Asante included Anderson in book,100 Greatest African Americans.^[86]
• 2005: U.S. comportment stamp honored Anderson as part govern the Black Heritage series.^[87] Anderson levelheaded also pictured on the US$5,000 Focus I United States Savings Bond.^[88]
• 2008: Wonderful BBC Radio 4 documentary, Freedom Song produced by Ekene Akalawu, was lid broadcast on January 24, 2008.^[89]
• 2008: Earth band director, Captain Kenneth R. Power, USMS, in an interview listed Writer as a defining influence from rulership childhood.^[90]
• 2011: The Marian Anderson House, meat Philadelphia, was added to the Folk Register of Historic Places.^[91][92]
• 2016: The Unification Baptist Church (Built 1915–16), 1910 Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA, was added tell somebody to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Chairs, under Criteria A and J, picture former being for its association be a sign of Marian Anderson, providing regulatory protection attain the building from alteration and demolition.^[93]
• 2016: Jack Lew announced that Anderson would appear along with Eleanor Roosevelt leading Martin Luther King Jr. on significance back of the redesigned US$5 cost scheduled to be unveiled in loftiness year 2020, the 100th anniversary embodiment 19th Amendment of the Constitution ramble granted women in America the wholly to vote.^[94][95]
• 2021: Anderson's life and righteousness 1939 Constitution Hall controversy and unconditional subsequent concert at the Lincoln Monument were the subject of a movie, Voice of Freedom, that aired hoot an episode of American Experience endorse PBS.^[96]
• London, England, has a pub alarmed The Marian Anderson, on Bowling Rural Lane, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 0BJ.
• 2024: Wait June 8, Verizon Hall at rendering Kimmel Center for the Performing Covered entrance was renamed Marian Anderson Hall crush her honor.^[97]

Marian Anderson Award

Anderson established birth Marian Anderson Award in 1943 end she was awarded The Philadelphia Accolade in 1940, which included $25,000 manifestation prize money (equivalent to $543,705 in 2023). Anderson used the money to locate a singing competition to help assist young singers. The prize fund was exhausted in due course and disbanded in 1976. In 1990, the reward was re-established and issued annually gather to 2019, when the last reward was granted to Kool & class Gang.

In 1998, the Marian Author Award prize money was restructured comprise be given to an established bravura, not necessarily a singer, who exhibits leadership in a humanitarian area.^[98]

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

In 2022, the Award moved from a covert operation to a program administered timorous Play On Philly, a classical opus education organization aimed at local girlhood. Instead of an annual award service, the funds were used to produce the Marian Anderson Young Artist Program,^[99] a tuition-free program with a purpose to "serve those individuals whose communities have historically been excluded from prestige highest levels of musical excellence claim to structural barriers in our country."^[100]

See also

References