Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson (1897–1993) was an American contralto whose concert career crossed racial barriers. Her 1939 open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial became a landmark in the struggle against segregation.

Easter Sunday Concert at the Lincoln Memorial: Marian Anderson’s 1939 open-air concert at the Lincoln Memorial, attended by an estimated 75,000 people. This performance turned a canceled concert engagement into a national event.
Civil rights movement: A broad movement seeking to end racial discrimination and secure equal rights, especially in the United States. Anderson’s public career became an early, highly visible challenge to racial exclusion.
Giuseppe Boghetti: An American voice teacher who coached Marian Anderson and encouraged her concert career. Boghetti became Anderson’s principal vocal teacher after hearing her sing at a 1921 audition.
Contralto: The lowest standard female singing voice, with a typical range extending roughly from F3 to F5. Anderson’s unusually rich contralto voice defined her vocal identity and repertoire.
Marian Anderson Award: An award established in 1943 by the Philadelphia-based Marian Anderson Committee to support young singers. The award translated Anderson’s career into direct support for emerging vocalists.
Constitution Hall: A Washington, D.C., concert hall owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The DAR’s refusal to let Anderson perform there prompted the Lincoln Memorial concert.
Racial segregation in the United States: The enforced separation of people by race in American public and private life. Segregation shaped the venues available to Anderson and the response to her 1939 concert.
Kosti Vehanen: A Finnish pianist and vocal coach who worked with Marian Anderson for decades. Vehanen accompanied Anderson and helped prepare her repertoire and performances.
Opera: A dramatic art form in which singers perform a staged story with instrumental accompaniment. Anderson trained in operatic technique but became best known as a concert and recital singer.
Marian Anderson Residence: The Philadelphia home where Marian Anderson lived for much of her adult life, now preserved as a historic site. The residence preserves the personal setting behind her public career.

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