FEBRUARY 27TH MARKS THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF ONE OF THE CENTURY'S GREATEST CONTRALTOS, MARIAN ANDERSON. FROM HER FIRST APPEARANCE AT CARNEGIE HALL IN 1920, UNTIL HER LAST IN 1989, ANDERSON PERFORMED ON THE CARNEGIE HALL STAGE MORE THAN FIFTY TIMES. IN HONOR OF THE CENTENARY OF HER BIRTH, CARNEGIE HALL WILL PRESENT A GALA CONCERT (THURSDAY, 2/27/97) FEATURING NOTED SOLOISTS FROM CLASSICAL MUSIC.
ACCORDING TO HER ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE NOW ON DISPLAY AT CARNEGIE HALL, MARIAN ANDERSON WAS BORN IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ON FEBRUARY 27TH, 1897. THE OLDEST OF THREE CHILDREN, SHE SANG IN CHURCH CHOIRS WHERE HER NATURAL MUSICAL TALENT WAS NURTURED. SHE BEGAN TAKING FORMAL VOICE LESSONS IN HER TEENS AND WAS THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS. IN 1925, ANDERSON WON FIRST PRIZE AT A CONTEST HELD BY THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, APPEARING THERE AS A SOLOIST A YEAR LATER. SHE MADE HER EUROPEAN DEBUT IN 1930 AND WON PRAISE FROM THE GREAT CONDUCTOR ARTURO TOSCANINI WHO DESCRIBED HER AS "THE VOICE THAT COMES ONCE IN 100 YEARS."
ANDERSON TOUCHED THE CONSCIENCE OF THE NATION WITH HER 1939 CONCERT HELD AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AFTER BEING REFUSED PERMISSION TO SING AT CONSTITUTION HALL. LATE,R SHE BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTIST TO SING A LEADING ROLE AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA IN NEW YORK.
IN 1957, THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SENT MARIAN ANDERSON ON AN OVERSEAS TOUR. DURING THE TOUR, HER REPERTOIRE RANGED FROM OPERATIC ARIAS TO FOLK SONGS, SACRED MUSIC AND SPIRITUALS. ANDERSON RECALLED THAT SPIRITUALS ALMOST ALWAYS RECEIVED THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE FROM HER AUDIENCES.
"WHEN THE SPIRITUALS CAME, THERE WAS A SORT OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE SPIRITUALS, AND THE ONE WHICH WAS MOST POPULAR WAS 'HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS.'"
AFTER RETIRING IN 1965, ANDERSON DEVOTED HER TIME TO HELPING YOUNG SINGERS. HER MANY DISTINCTIONS INCLUDED MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR HONORARY DEGREES. IN 1963, SHE BECAME THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM. MARION ANDERSON DIED ON APRIL 8TH, 1993 AT THE PORTLAND, OREGON HOME OF HER NEPHEW, CONDUCTOR JAMES DEPREIST. SHE WAS 96 YEARS OLD. JAMES DEPREIST WILL BE AMONG THOSE APPEARING AT CARNEGIE HALL ON FEBRUARY 27TH TO HONOR THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF MARIAN ANDERSON. THE PROGRAM WILL FEATURE CONDUCTOR ROBERT SHAW WITH THE ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE'S AND THE MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CHOIR, SINGERS JESSYE NORMAN AND DENYCE GRAVES, AND VIOLINIST ISSAC STERN.
24-Feb-97
Source: Voice of America