Home > Marilyn Horne

Horne was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Her parents moved to Long Beach, California, near Los Angeles, when she was 11. She studied voice at the University of Southern California and participated in Lotte Lehmann's vocal classes.

Horne's first major professional engagement was in 1954, when she dubbed the voice of Dorothy Dandridge in the film Carmen Jones. Up to that point, she had worked as a background singer for several TV sitcoms, as well as recorded covers of popular songs of the early 50s. She made her Los Angeles debut the same year when she performed the role of Hata in The Bartered Bride with the Los Angeles Guild Opera.

Her first major breakthrough came when her singing ability was recognized by Igor Stravinsky; her operatic career began when he invited her to perform in the 1956 Vienna festival. She remained in Europe for three seasons singing for Oper Gelsenkirchen . She was highly acclaimed for her performance as Marie in Berg'sInset of portrait of Berg by Arnold Schoenberg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( February 9, 1885 December 24, 1935) was an Austrian composer. He was a member of the Second Viennese School along with Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, producing works that comb WozzeckWozzeck is the first and most famous opera by Alban Berg. The opera was based an German playwright Georg Buchner's uncompleted Woyzeck''. Berg worked the material of the play into a libretto of three compact acts with five scenes each. Berg began work on at the inauguration of Gelsenkirchen's new opera house on May 22, 1960

In 1964, she returned to the United States to appear in Wozzeck at the San Francisco OperaSan Francisco Opera (SFO is the second largest opera company in North America. It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola (1881-1953). Its first performance was La Boheme with Queena Mario and Giovanni Martinelli, on September 26, 1923, in the city's Civic.

For many years, Horne was associated with the AustraliaAustralia is the sixth-largest country in the world (geographically), the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia. Australia includes the island of Tasmania, which is an Australian State. Its neighbouring countn soprano Joan SutherlandJoan Sutherland OM (born 7 November 1926) is an Australian opera singer. She is a famous coloratura soprano who contributed to the bel canto revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She retired in 1990. Sutherland was born in Sydney. In 1951, she won Au. They first performed together in a concert version of Bellini'sVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini ( November 3, 1801 September 23, 1835) was an Italian opera composer. Foremost a lyricist, Bellini was the quintessential composer of Bel canto opera. Life Born in Catania, Sicily, Italy, Bellini was a child pr Beatrice di Tenda at Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Manhattan, New York City. It is one of the most significant venues for classical as well as popular music in the US, known not just for its beauty and history but also for its fine acoustics. Form Carnegie Hall is actua in February, 1961. In 1965, they were paired again in a performance of Rossini's SemiramideSemiramide is an opera by Gioacchino Rossini. The libretto was written by Rossi based on Voltaire's tragedy Semiramis (it in turn based on the legend of Semiramis of Babylon). It was first performed in Venice in 1823. Semiramide is Rossini's last opera se with the Opera Company of Boston.

Horne made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in October 1964 as Marie in Wozzeck. Her La Scala debut was as Jocasta in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex on March 13, 1969. Horne made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma with Joan Sutherland in the title role. She thereafter appeared regularly at the Met, opening the 1972-1973 season as Carmen. In 1984, she sang the title role of Handel's opera seria Rinaldo, the first Handel opera ever performed at the Met.

Although best known for her bel canto and opera seria roles, Horne also performed much American music, both contemporary music, by composers such as William Bolcom, and traditional popular songs.

Horne was married from 1960 to 1979 to the conductor Henry Lewis .

Horne retired from the concert stage in 1999 with a recital at the Chicago Symphony Center. She still occasionally performs at pop concerts (most recently with cabaret star Barbara Cook), her voice undimmed by age. Horne has also established the Marilyn Horne Foundation to help fund music education.

Many music critics consider Horne to be one of the greatest singers in the history of opera. She is seen as the prototypical American singer; brisk, efficient, earnest, technically secure and no "diva" traits, perhaps only missing a touch of the irony and darkness of spirit of old world singers.