Philadelphia Orchestra’s home renamed Marian Anderson Hall as Verizon name comes off

Marian Anderson, an acclaimed and boundary-breaking Black contralto, was born in Philadelphia in 1897.

The Art of Marian Anderson

Featuring Marian Anderson’s iconic 1939 concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Grace Bumbry, 1st Black singer at Bayreuth, dies at 86

Bumbry was among the winners of the 1958 Met National Council Auditions. She had a recital debut in Paris that same year and made her Paris Opéra debut in 1960.

Marian Anderson & James DePreist (c. 1966)

During the summer of 1966, the groundbreaking American contralto performed with the Grant Park Orchestra under the direction of her nephew, conductor James DePreist.

Playlist: 11 Black Performers Instrumental to Classical Music

Here are just a few Black performers who changed the course of classical music… and continue to inspire us today!

Marian Anderson’s vocal artistry honored in new CD bonanza

Marian Anderson broke barriers throughout her career, from her 1939 Easter Sunday performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to her 1955 performance at the Metropolitan Opera.

‘No path is easy’: Black opera singers detail struggles

More than 60 years after Marian Anderson broke the color barrier at the Met, Black singers still face unique obstacles within the opera industry. “We’ve made some strides, but not a whole lot,” said Professor Naomi Andre.

Playlist: WFMT Selects Classical Music to Help You Brave the Winter

Winter can be grueling, but music can warm and soothe. Here’s the music that helps WFMT get through the season.

Concert pianist, Marian Anderson protege Burton-Lyles dies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Blanche Burton-Lyles, a concert pianist who was mentored by pioneering opera singer Marian Anderson, has died. She was 85. Burton-Lyles died of heart failure Monday at a rehabilitation center, according to Slater Funeral Home in Philadelphia. Burton-Lyles was born and raised in Philadelphia. She learned how to play classical piano at the age of 3. Burton-Lyles was …

Studs Terkel Spoke To the Greatest Musicians of His Time. Now You Can Hear Their Conversations Online.

Between 1952 and 1997, Studs Terkel invited some of the world’s best musicians to join him for his hour-long radio program on WFMT.

‘I’m a white composer, living in white privilege, setting the poetry of Langston Hughes’

When Karpman encountered Langston Hughes’ poem, she was instantly fascinated.