Marian Anderson

1
Marian Anderson

• (1897-1993)

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Marian Anderson

• First African American Opera Singer

3
Beginning

• Born on February 27, 1897
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• She was the oldest of three children, all girls
• Father, John, sold ice and coal and her mother,
  Anna was a former teacher. 1910

4
Start

• She began to sing at the age of six in the
  familys church choir.
  
• 17 started taking voice lessons from Mary
  Patterson.
  
• 1916-1918 studied under Agnes Reifsnyder.

5
Start

• 1920- first professional teacher, Giuseppe
  Boghetti
  
• 1925- first break, won contest to sing solo with
  New York Philharmonic (out of 300)
  
• late 1930- sang for the Roosevelts at the White
  House.
  

6
Europe

• 1928- goes to London to further her education and
  touring schedule
  
• Early 1930-establishes her reputation
• Jean Sibelius dedicated his Solitude to her

7
Lincoln Memorial

• DAR refuses to let her sing at Constitution Hall
• First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigns
• Sets up concert on steps of Lincoln Memorial
  (75,000)
  
• Four years later DAR ask her to sing for them

8
Trail Blazer

• 1955 She was the first African American to be
  asked to join the Metropolitan Opera
  
• She was 58 years old.
• She played Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdis Un ballo in
  Maschera

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Awards

• 1939- Springarn Medal
• 1941- Bok Award
• 1963- President Johnson gave her the American
  Medal of Freedom
  
• 1972- UN Peace Prize
• 1977- Congress gives her a gold medal (75th
  birthday)
  
• 1980- U.S. Treasury coined 1/2 oz. gold
  commemorative medal
  
• 1986- President Reagan awards her the National
  Medal of art
  
• 1991- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

10
Death

• Marian Anderson died, April 8, 1993
• Of heart failure
• At her nephews house in Portland Oregon
• At the age of 96

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Source List

• http//www.library.upenn.edu/collections/rbm/photo
  s/anderson/index.html
  
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Anderson
• http//www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/ande-mar.htm
• http//www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson
  /index.htmltoc
  
• http//www.afrovoices.com/anderson.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Anderson
• www.tenstorylove.com/lyrics/marian_story.html
• www.library.upenn.edu/collections/rbm/photos/ande
  rson/2008.html