The 365 Project - Jan. 7, 2015 On January 7, 1955 Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform at the New York Metropolitan Opera. One of our nation’s most gifted contraltos, Ms. Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897. She was 6 years old when she joined the Union Baptist Church choir and earned the nickname “Baby Contralto”. Marian’s parents scraped together enough money to buy a piano, but she was self-taught because the family didn’t have money for voice lessons. However, the church members were so impressed with her talent they raised $500 to fund vocal lessons under Giuseppe Boghetti, a noted voice teacher. Under Boghetti’s tutelage, Marian won the opportunity to compete in a contest organized by the New York Philharmonic Society at Lewisohn Stadium in New York. In 1928 she performed at Carnegie Hall; then won a Julius Rosenwald Scholarship and was able to tour through Europe. While Anderson’s fame as a singer grew, she still faced racial prejudice. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution denied her use of the Constitution Hall in Washington DC for a concert. Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR in protest and arranged for Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter morning. 75,000 people attended the concert, which was broadcast live on radio. Later Marian Anderson sang at the presidential inaugurations of Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. She was appointed a delegate to the Thirteenth General Assembly of the United Nations in 1958 and was awarded the UN Peace Prize in 1977. Marian Anderson’s farewell performance was in 1965. She died of natural causes on April 8, 1993. Marian Anderson sings at the Lincoln Memorial youtu.be/mAONYTMf2pk Hear Marian Anderson Sing youtu.be/jhJV7TyAFPg
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000