Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

Visit Help CenterContact UsHow to Listen

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Open Ears

Open Ears: Get to Know the Incredible Story of Marian Anderson

Open EarsWomen in ClassicalVocal


About Open Ears: So many people who made invaluable contributions to classical music were underappreciated in their time, or have been nearly lost to history. That’s why KUSC is starting Open Ears, a series of stories about composers, musicians, and conductors who deserve more recognition. You can learn more and explore other articles here.

Marian Anderson (b. 1897) was just six years old when she became a choir member at the Union Baptist Church (in her hometown of Philadelphia), where they nicknamed her “Baby Contralto.” Her father was a coal and ice dealer and was supportive of her musical interests. When she was eight, he bought her a piano. Since the family couldn’t afford lessons, she taught herself.

The church choir was so impressed by Anderson’s talent and motivation that the members of the congregation got together and raised money for her to study with a respected voice teacher. While she was studying, she entered a contest organized by the New York Philharmonic Society and won the chance to sing at Lewisohn Stadium in New York.

In 1928 Anderson performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time, and eventually received a scholarship that took her to Europe. By the late 1930s she was well known on both sides of the Atlantic. When she was invited by President Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor to perform at the White House, she became the first African American to receive this honor.

In 1939 her manager tried to arrange a performance for her at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The owners of the hall, the Daughters of the American Revolution, told Anderson and her manager that no dates were available. But the real reason for turning Anderson away was a policy established by the D.A.R. that restricted use of the hall to white performers.

When word got out, there was a public uproar, led in part by Eleanor Roosevelt, who resigned from the D.A.R. in protest.


Eleanor Roosevelt invited Anderson to perform instead at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday. In front of a crowd of more than 75,000, Anderson gave a moving performance that was broadcast live to millions of radio listeners.

In 1955 Marian Anderson became the first African American to perform as a member of the Metropolitan Opera.

Open EarsWomen in ClassicalVocal
Written by:
Alan Chapman
Alan Chapman
Published on 03.28.2025
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Open Ears: Get to Know “the Dean of Black Women Composers”.

Open Ears: Get to Know “the Dean of Black Women Composers”.

Explore the life of Undine Smith Moore, a significant 20th-century composer and teacher of spirituals, known as "the Dean of Black Women Composers".

03/24/2025
Open Ears: The Trailblazing Journey of Rudolph Dunbar

Open Ears: The Trailblazing Journey of Rudolph Dunbar

Explore the life of Rudolph Dunbar, the first Black man to conduct the Berlin and London Philharmonics, his fight for racial equality, and his mysterious career decline.

02/12/2024
Nora Holt: Free-Spirited Composer of the Harlem Renaissance

Nora Holt: Free-Spirited Composer of the Harlem Renaissance

Explore the life of Nora Douglas Holt, a pioneering African-American composer, singer, and critic from the Harlem Renaissance, whose contributions to music remain largely unappreciated.

02/01/2024
Open Ears: A Series of Stories About Composers, Musicians, and Conductors Who Deserve More Recognition

Open Ears: A Series of Stories About Composers, Musicians, and Conductors Who Deserve More Recognition

Explore KUSC's Open Ears series, highlighting underappreciated contributors to classical music like Marian Anderson, Calvin Simmons, Florence B. Price, and more.

02/04/2022
Open Ears: From Steel Mills to the Silver Screen

Open Ears: From Steel Mills to the Silver Screen

Explore the life of Jester Hairston, a musician who made significant contributions to choral music and film, known for his work in African-American spirituals.

06/18/2020
Open Ears: The Groundbreaking, All-Too-Brief Life of Calvin Simmons

Open Ears: The Groundbreaking, All-Too-Brief Life of Calvin Simmons

"Discover the life and legacy of Calvin Simmons, the first African American to lead a major American orchestra, whose contributions to classical music are at risk of being forgotten."

06/18/2020