In 1935, after hearing her perform in Salzburg, the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini told Marian Anderson that hers was a voice "heard once in a hundred years." He wasn't exaggerating. Anderson was more than a world-class contralto; she was a quiet revolutionary who dismantled racial barriers through the sheer power of her artistry.
A Life of Quiet Defiance
Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897, in Philadelphia. Her musical journey began in the junior choir of the Union Baptist Church, where her community quickly recognized her "three-octave range" and pooled their nickels and dimes to fund her vocal lessons.
Despite her immense talent, she faced the harsh realities of Jim Crow America. In 1921, she was flatly rejected from a local music school because of her race. Rather than giving up, she took her talents to Europe in the 1930s, where she became a sensation, performing for royalty and acclaimed composers like Jean Sibelius.
The Performance That Changed America
The most defining moment of her career—and a turning point in the American Civil Rights Movement—occurred in 1939. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) refused to let her perform at Constitution Hall because of a "white-only" performers policy.
In response, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR in protest, and alongside the NAACP, helped arrange an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. On Easter Sunday, Anderson sang before a crowd of 75,000 people and millions more via radio, opening with a poignant rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."
Accomplishments & Milestones
1925: First African American to win the New York Philharmonic's singing competition.
1939: Historic performance at the Lincoln Memorial.
1955: First African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera (as Ulrica in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera).
1958: Appointed as a delegate to the United Nations by President Eisenhower.
1963: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
1991: Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bibliography & Selected Works
While primarily a performer, Anderson’s life is chronicled in her own words and by various historians:
My Lord, What a Morning (1956) – Her official autobiography.
Marian Anderson: A Singer's Journey by Allan Keiler (2000).
The Voice that Challenged a Nation by Russell Freedman (2004).
Selected Discography
Her voice is preserved through hundreds of recordings, ranging from German Lieder to Negro Spirituals:
Marian Anderson Sings Spirituals (RCA Victor)
Schubert & Schumann Lieder (Franz Rupp, Piano)
The Lady from Philadelphia (Soundtrack/Documentary recordings)
Brahms: Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 (with the Philadelphia Orchestra)
Filmography
Anderson did not pursue a career as a film actress, but her life and performances were captured in significant documentaries:
The Lady from Philadelphia (1957) – A "See It Now" production documenting her State Department tour of Asia.
Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert (1939 Newsreel) – Historic footage of the Easter Sunday performance.
Voice of Freedom (American Experience, 2021) – A comprehensive documentary on her life and the 1939 concert.
In Her Own Words
"Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it."
"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might."
Watch and Listen
Experience the "once in a hundred years" voice through these curated clips:
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at the Lincoln Memorial (1939) Marian Anderson Sings "Ave Maria" Metropolitan Opera Debut (1955)
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