Music schools in Philadelphia denied her admission because she was Black, and so did a segregated concert hall, leading to a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Memorial and a fight for Civil Rights.

The opera legend Marian Anderson lived and sang in Danbury, Connecticut, for five decades.

This hour, we’ll learn about her life, her studio in Danbury, and also discuss the lack of diversity in opera today – the year of Marian’s 125th birth anniversary.

We’ll also take a listen to selected preview audio from Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands, a PBS documentary.

GUESTS: 

• Brigid Guertin: Executive Director of the Danbury Museum, and Danbury City Historian
• Francesca Zambello: Artistic Director of the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center and General Director of the Glimmerglass Festival 
• Alan Mann: Artistic Director, Opera Theater of Connecticut

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired January 26, 2022.

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