Sylvia Olden Lee (June 29, 1917 – April 10, 2004) was an American vocal coach and accompanist. She was the first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
to be employed by the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...
. Her fields of expertise were
European classical music and
Negro spiritual
Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals, African American spirituals, Black spirituals, or spiritual music) is a genre of Christian music that is associated with Black Americans, which merged sub-Saharan African cultural heritage with the ex ...
s.
Biography
Lee was born in
Meridian, Mississippi. Her father, James Clarence Olden, was a member of the
Fisk Quartet, which included
Roland Hayes
Roland Wiltse Hayes (June 3, 1887 – January 1, 1977) was an American lyric tenor and composer. Critics lauded his abilities and linguistic skills demonstrated with songs in French, German, and Italian. Hayes's predecessors as well-known Afr ...
. She studied piano and organ at
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
and
Oberlin Conservatory
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of ...
.
Among the highlights of her career:
* She was invited to play at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
for the inauguration of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933).
* In 1942, she toured with
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplish ...
.
* In 1954, after being hired as vocal coach for the Metropolitan Opera, she was the impetus for the historic invitation to
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
contralto
A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type.
The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United ...
to perform in
Giuseppe Verdi's ''
Un Ballo in Maschera
''Un ballo in maschera'' ''(A Masked Ball)'' is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The text, by Antonio Somma, was based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's 1833 five act opera, '' Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué''.
Th ...
.''
* 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
Further reading
* Sylvia Olden Lee & Elizabeth Nash. ''The Memoirs of Sylvia Olden Lee: Premier African-American Vocal Coach''. Edwin Mellen Press, 2001.
External links
Obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Sylvia Olden
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 people