Marian Anderson
Contralto who broke racial barriers in American classical music.
Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals, with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United States and Europe between 1925 and 1965. Anderson was an important figure in the struggle for African-American artists to overcome racial prejudice in the United States during the mid-twentieth century. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow Anderson to sing to an integrated audience in Constitution Hall. With the aid of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, she performed a critically acclaimed open-air concert on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, on the Lincoln Memorial steps before an integrated crowd of more than 75,000 people and a radio audience in the millions.
- born
- February 27, 1897, Philadelphia
- died
- April 8, 1993
- field
- Classical music, opera, spirituals
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- First African-American singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera (1955); 1939
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897, to John Berkley Anderson and Annie Delilah Rucker. Her father sold ice and coal at the Reading Terminal and eventually also sold liquor. Her mother cared for small children after being unable to teach in Philadelphia due to a law applied only to black teachers. Marian was the eldest of three sisters; Alyse and Ethel also became singers. At age six, encouraged by her aunt Mary, she joined the junior church choir at Union Baptist Church, performing solos and duets. She later joined the People's Chorus of Philadelphia under Emma Azalia Hackley. When Anderson was 12, her father died after a head injury and heart failure. She moved in with her grandparents; her grandfather had been born a slave and was emancipated in the 1860s. She graduated from Stanton Grammar School in 1912 and South Philadelphia High School in 1921, with funds raised by her church and community. The Philadelphia Music Academy refused to admit her due to its all-white policy, so she studied privately with Agnes Reifsnyder and then Giuseppe Boghetti. In 1923, she made her first recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey.
Reader's Guide
Marian Anderson's career took off in 1925 when she won a New York Philharmonic competition and performed with the orchestra on August 26, 1925. She studied with Frank La Forge and was managed by Arthur Judson. In 1928, she made her first Carnegie Hall performance. A Rosenwald Fund fellowship of $1500 allowed her to study in Berlin. In Europe, she studied with Sara Charles-Cahier and Geni Sadero, then launched a successful European tour. In 1930, she met Finnish pianist Kosti Vehanen, who became her regular accompanist. Through him, she met Jean Sibelius, who altered and composed songs for her, dedicating 'Solitude' to her in 1939. In 1933, she made her European debut at Wigmore Hall in London. In 1935, Arturo Toscanini told her she had a voice 'heard once in a hundred years.' Impresario Sol Hurok became her manager in 1934. On January 7, 1955, she became the first African-American singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. She also worked as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and as a Goodwill Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State, and sang at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. She received the first Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963, the Congressional Gold Medal in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, the National Medal of Arts in 1986, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1991.
Did You Know?
- Anderson's grandfather was born a slave and emancipated in the 1860s.
- She was refused admission to the Philadelphia Music Academy because of its all-white policy.
- Arturo Toscanini told her she had a voice 'heard once in a hundred years' during a 1935 Salzburg tour.
- Jean Sibelius altered and composed songs for Anderson, dedicating 'Solitude' to her in 1939.
- She was awarded the first Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marian Anderson?
Marian Anderson (1897–1993) was an American contralto celebrated for her rich, powerful voice and her ability to move fluidly between opera, art song, and spirituals. She performed with major orchestras and at leading venues across the United States and Europe from the mid-1920s through the mid-1960s.
What was the 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert?
After the Daughters of the American Revolution barred her from singing to an integrated audience at Constitution Hall, Anderson instead performed a massive open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event drew tens of thousands of listeners and became a defining moment in the fight against racial exclusion in the arts.
What was Marian Anderson's Met Opera debut?
In 1955 she became the first African-American singer to appear on the Metropolitan Opera stage, a milestone that broke a long-standing color barrier in American opera. Her role in that debut marked a turning point for representation in the institution.
What voice type did Marian Anderson have?
She was a contralto, giving her a deep, warm timbre that suited both dramatic operatic roles and the rich harmonic texture of spirituals. Her range and power allowed her to command large concert halls without electronic amplification.
Why is Marian Anderson considered a civil-rights figure?
Her 1939 exclusion from Constitution Hall and the subsequent Lincoln Memorial concert turned a personal professional setback into a national symbol of resistance to racial discrimination. Over the following decades, her visibility in previously segregated spaces helped open doors for Black artists in classical music.
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