Anderson, Marian, 1897-1993

Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897 (although throughout much of her life she gave her birth date as February 17, 1902) in south Philadelphia. Her father, John Berkley Anderson, sold ice and coal and her mother Annie Delilah Rucker Anderson was a former schoolmistress. She was the oldest of three sisters. She began singing when she was six, in the church choir, and by eight had become a regular substitute, filling in for absent sopranos, tenors and even bass. She was presented in one church program as the "Baby Contralto." To this early experience, Anderson later attributed her wide vocal range. Anderson taught herself to play piano and violin, although her voice was still her preferred instrument.

When Anderson was ten, her father was killed in a work accident and her mother became the family's sole supporter, working as a housekeeper and laundress. When she entered high school, Anderson intended to follow a commercial education course to help support her family, but she continued to sing and perform with church groups around Philadelphia. She was invited to sing with her school chorus; the school's principal noticed her during a performance and suggested that she transfer to a college preparatory course that would allow her to devote more time to music studies. When she finished high school, Anderson attempted to enroll in an all-white music school in Philadelphia; she was turned down due to her race. Anderson's church held a fundraiser so that she could study privately with the renowned music teacher Giuseppe Boghetti. His lessons helped prepare her for a singing contest held by the Philadelphia Philharmonic Society, which she won in 1926. The prize was a concert at Lewisohn Stadium with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. After this performance, Anderson was signed by a concert manager and was able to study with Frank La Forge, another noted voice teacher. Despite her successful performance in New York, Anderson had difficulty finding venues in the States that would book her because of her race, and for several years her career stalled.

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