Nicholas Newton has been named the 2025 Marian Anderson Vocal Award. Named for the groundbreaking African American contralto, the award recognizes a young American singer in opera, oratorio, or recital repertory and is given annually by the Kennedy Center, offering its winner a cash prize, a residency at Washington’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and a recital presented by {…}
The National Marian Anderson Museum & Historical Society is set to reopen in late February. The museum was repaired and restored following over $500,000 worth of damage from a disastrous flood in 2021. In 2022, the organization repaired and restored several artifacts. The reopening is set for Feb. 23, 2025, with a tribute service at the Tindley Temple United Methodist {…}
Baritone Justin Austin is this year’s Marian Anderson Vocal Award winner. As such, the baritone will sing a recital at The Kennedy Center on Dec. 12, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. The showcase will be presented by the Washington National Opera and will feature Austin alongside pianist Howard Watkins. The program will feature music by Olaf Beinert, Hanns Eisler, Ricky Ian {…}
On February 27th, 1897 African-American contralto Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia. With a career full of monumental firsts and acts of heroism, Anderson’s name is forever tied towards the fight for equal rights, not only for women but for the African-American community. A beacon of social change, Anderson’s legacy will never be forgotten. As an activist performer, Anderson accomplished {…}
Leah Hawkins is set to perform in the Marian Anderson Vocal Award Recital at The Kennedy Center on Feb. 12, 2023. The soprano, who is this year’s recipient of the major honor, will perform music by Hairston, Wagner, Poulenc, Copland, Grant Still, Ashbourne, and the Kennedy Center premiere of Barnes’ “Proverbs.” Hawkins will be joined by pianist Kevin Miller. The {…}
(Credit: Penn Libraries) The Penn Museum and the National Marian Anderson Museum & Historical Society will host an event in celebration of the civil rights activist and first Black person to perform at the Metropolitan Opera, Marian Anderson. The CEO of the National Marian Anderson Museum & Historical Society, Jillian Patricia Pirtle, will speak on Anderson’s life story and work. {…}
For the entirety of February 2022, The Penn Museum, in partnership with National Marian Anderson Museum and Historical Society, honors the first Black woman to perform with the Metropolitan Opera, contralto Marian Anderson. Anderson performed at the Met in January 1955 and became a crucial figure within the civil rights movement. The events taking place throughout the month provide the {…}
On Feb. 8, 2022, PBS will present “American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands,” in honor of Black History Month and the 125th anniversary of the famed singer’s birthday. Directed by Emmy Award winner Rita Cobern, the documentary explores Anderson’s life, career, and legacy by drawing from 34 cassette tapes of interviews recorded in the 1950s. {…}
Historic contralto Marian Anderson, an icon of the anti-racist struggle, will have an honorary statue in her hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The monument, which will be located at the Academy of Music, will be the first monument in the city dedicated to a black woman. “From a young age, I was led to believe that if I put my heart, {…}
This week two solo recital albums make up the new releases. One comes from one of the greatest living sopranos and the other arrives from one of the great baroque interpreters of our time. There will also be a box set of recordings by a legendary mezzo-sopranos as well as an electronic opera. Anja Harteros Warner Classics releases Anja Harteros’ {…}
The San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity, and Community has announced the spring lineup for the Opera Aficionado virtual interactive conversation series. Each month from April through June, the company will offer themed discussions ranging from Shakespeare’s influence on opera to a celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month. All start times are 1:00 p.m. PDT. The focus of {…}