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Sylvia Olden Lee

American vocal musician (1917–2004)

Summary

American vocal musician (1917–2004)

FieldValue
nameSylvia Olden Lee
imagePhoto of Sylvia Olden Lee.jpg
birth_placeMeridian, Mississippi, U.S.
birth_dateJune 29, 1917
death_placePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
death_dateApril 10, 2004 (aged 86)
occupationVocal coach, accompanist
genreEuropean Classical Music, Negro Spirituals
past_member_ofMetropolitan Opera

Sylvia Olden Lee (June 29, 1917 – April 10, 2004) was an American vocal coach and accompanist. She was the first African-American to be employed by the Metropolitan Opera. Her fields of expertise were European classical music and Negro spirituals.

Biography

Lee was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Her father, James Clarence Olden, was a member of the Fisk Quartet, which included Roland Hayes. She studied piano and organ at Howard University and Oberlin Conservatory.

Among the highlights of her career:

  • She was invited to play at the White House for the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933).
  • In 1942, she toured with Paul Robeson.
  • In 1954, after being hired as vocal coach for the Metropolitan Opera, she was the impetus for the historic invitation to African-American contralto Marian Anderson to perform in Giuseppe Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.
  • In 1956, she began studies with famed German baritone Gerhard Huesch.

Lee taught at a number of universities, including the Curtis Institute of Music.

Lee's brother was the prominent African-American graphic designer Georg Olden. In 2017, Lee was commemorated in a concert at Carnegie Hall, sponsored by the Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture.

References

References

  1. (18 April 2021). "Cynthia Cozette Lee: Black Classical Firsts Honored in April: Day 16 – Sylvia Olden Lee, Acclaimed Vocal Coach, Pianist and Music Educator".
  2. "Lee, Sylvia Olden (1917-2004)".
  3. (29 June 2017). "Carnegie Hall to celebrate 100th birthday of Sylvia Olden Lee".
  4. "Carnegie Tribute To Sylvia Olden Lee 06/17".
  5. "Tribute to Sylvia OIden Lee".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1917-births 2004-deaths musicians-from-meridian,-mississippi howard-university-alumni oberlin-college-alumni american-vocal-coaches 20th-century-american-musicians 20th-century-african-american-musicians 21st-century-african-american-musicians
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