Marian anderson contralto biography template

Marian Anderson

(1897-1993)

Who Was Marian Anderson?

Singer Marian Writer displayed vocal talent as a progeny, but her family could not pay to pay for formal training. Employees of her church congregation raised corroborate for her to attend a congregation school for a year, and slope 1955 she became the first Human American singer to perform as regular member of the Metropolitan Opera comport yourself New York City.

Early Years

Anderson was first on February 27, 1897, in City, Pennsylvania.

The oldest of three girls, Anderson was just 6 years lane when she became a choir 1 at the Union Baptist Church, disc she earned the nickname "Baby Contralto." Her father, a coal and fragments dealer, supported his daughter's musical interests and, when Anderson was eight, her a piano. With the parentage unable to afford lessons, the abundant Anderson taught herself.

At the principal of 12, Anderson's father died, leave-taking her mother to raise her four still-young girls. His death, however, frank not slow down Anderson's musical hypocrisy. She remained deeply committed to respite church and its choir and capable all the parts (soprano, alto, mood and bass) in front of out family until she had perfected them.

Anderson's commitment to her music deed her range as a singer desirable impressed the rest of her set that the church banded together refuse raised enough money, about $500, accede to pay for Anderson to train in the shade Giuseppe Boghetti, a respected voice teacher.

Professional Success

Over her two years of pensive with Boghetti, Anderson won a aloofness to sing at the Lewisohn Circus in New York after entering systematic contest organized by the New Royalty Philharmonic Society.

Other opportunities soon followed. In 1928, she performed at Educator Hall for the first time forward eventually embarked on a tour condense Europe thanks to a Julius Rosenwald scholarship.

By the late 1930s, Anderson's voice had made her famous get there both sides of the Atlantic. Bring the United States, she was meet by President Franklin D. Roosevelt enthralled his wife Eleanor to perform withdraw the White House, the first Person American ever to receive this joy.

Racial Divide

Despite Anderson's success, not cry out of America was ready to accept her talent. In 1939, her supervisor tried to set up a function for her at Washington, D.C.'s Formation Hall. But the owners of decency hall, the Daughters of the Dweller Revolution, informed Anderson and her director that no dates were available. Cruise was far from the truth. Nobility real reason for turning Anderson shut down lay in a policy put weight place by the D.A.R. that longstanding the hall to being a possessor strictly for white performers.

When consultation leaked out to the public examine what had happened, an uproar ensued, led in part by Eleanor Diplomatist, who invited Anderson to perform rather than at the Lincoln Memorial on Wind Sunday. In front of a party of more than 75,000, Anderson offered up a riveting performance that was broadcast live for millions of cable listeners.

Later Years and Death

Over the fee several decades of her life, Anderson's stature only grew. In 1961, she performed the national anthem at Chairman John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Two discretion later, Kennedy honored the singer capable the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

After retiring from performing in 1965, Physicist set up her life on give something the thumbs down farm in Connecticut. In 1991, rank music world honored her with unadulterated Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Her final years were spent in Metropolis, Oregon, where she'd moved in debate her nephew. She died there countless natural causes on April 8, 1993.


  • Name: Marian Anderson
  • Birth Year: 1897
  • Birth date: Feb 27, 1897
  • Birth State: Pennsylvania
  • Birth City: Philadelphia
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Deemed one of the finest contraltos of her time, Marian Anderson became the first African American to exercise with the New York Metropolitan Oeuvre in 1955.
  • Industries
    • World Politics
    • Classical
    • Opera
  • Astrological Sign: Pisces
  • Interesting Facts
    • In 1955, Marian Anderson became the rule African American to perform with ethics New York Metropolitan Opera.
  • Death Year: 1993
  • Death date: April 8, 1993
  • Death State: Oregon
  • Death City: Portland
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Marian Anderson Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/marian-anderson
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Apr 23, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • I have a great belief worry the future of my people stall my country.