Guide to the Marilyn Horne Foundation Records, 1991-2011 CTC.2010.01

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Marilyn Horne Foundation Records
Creator
Marilyn Horne Foundation
Collection Number
CTC.2010.01
Extent
66 Linear Feet (151 manuscript boxes)
Date
1991-2011
Abstract
The Marilyn Horne Foundation was formed in 1993 to promote the art of the vocal recital. Renowned mezzo soprano opera star Marilyn Horne wanted to support young recitalists and give them the opportunity to hone their craft. The records include financial information, artist information, board of trustee files, marketing materials, video and audio recordings, photographs, and posters.
Language
English .
Author
William Daw.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Marilyn Horne Foundation in 2010.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Scope and Content Notes

This collection details the entire history of the Marilyn Horne Foundation and its efforts to promote young classical singers and the art of the vocal recital. The materials are arranged into four series: Office Files, Programs and Events, Photographs, and Audio/Visual Recordings. Included in the collection is information on the artists that performed for and were sponsored by the foundation; files on the development, marketing, and finances of the foundation; board of trustees meeting minutes; and a large amount of materials on the Foundation's education program in New York City and also its national residency program. The Foundation's two main productions, The Song Continues annual concert and the On Wings of Song recital program, are both covered in great detail.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Aleksandra Pomiecko, Margaret Huang, and William Daw in 2011-2013.

History

The Marilyn Horne Foundation (MHF) was formed in 1993 to promote the art of the vocal recital. Marilyn Horne is widely recognized as one of the greatest opera performers in history. Ms. Horne started her foundation because she grew worried that the tradition of the song recital was disappearing. The eminent opera star wanted to support young recitalists and give them the opportunity to refine their craft. She acknowledged that there still seemed to be eager audiences for song recitals in cities like New York, but at the time, Ms. Horne noted that institutions and organizations around the country that used to present song recital series regularly started dropping out of the business.

The Marilyn Horne Foundation was one of the most influential and esteemed national nonprofits devoted exclusively to song and to gifted young vocal recitalists. The Foundation was officially launched on January 16, 1994, with a gala concert at Carnegie Hall celebrating Ms. Horne's 60th birthday. The mission statement of the Foundation was "to encourage, support and preserve the art of the vocal recital through the presentation of recitals and related educational activities in communities across the United States."

The Marilyn Horne Foundation achieved this mission through the presentation of recitals, residencies, concerts, radio broadcasts, educational outreach and song commissions. In addition to performances at Carnegie Hall and the Julliard School of Music, the Foundation performed hundreds of recitals at schools, colleges, and universities across the country. The Foundation sponsored "The Song Continues," which was a weeklong festival of master classes and recitals culminating with an annual concert.

The Foundation selected a number of aspiring young singers to send on the road for four-day residencies in partnership with community-based concert presenters, music festivals or colleges. The singers offered recitals and visited local schools. The first two singers sponsored by the Foundation were soprano Bridgett Hooks and tenor Olafur Bjarnason. There was also a competition, held in July for students enrolled at the Music Academy for the West in Santa Barbara, California, where Marilyn Horne served as a voice program director from 1977. Two winners (a singer and pianist) were presented each season at the "Wings of Song" recital in New York.

The Foundation also supported the "On Wings of Song" program which started in 1995 as a vocal recital series and later included radio broadcasts on WQXR. Marilyn Horne and WQXR's Elliot Forrest co-hosted an hour that consisted of part concert, part master-class, and part reminiscence. The concerts were recorded live at Christ & Stephen's Church in New York City. The program was eventually folded into "The Song Continues" series.

Over the course of the fifteen year plus history of the Foundation, over 100 artists were sponsored. In July 2010, the Foundation closed and the programs of the Marilyn Horne Foundation were incorporated into the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall with Marilyn Horne serving as the Artistic Advisor. Both The Song Continues, the annual festival, and the On Wings of Song vocal recital series live on to introduce and support emerging young vocalists.

Arrangement

The records of the Marilyn Horne Foundation are organized into five series:

Series I. Office Files, 1991-2010

Series II. Programs and Events, 1993-2011

Series III. Photographs, 1994-2009

Series IV. Audio/Visual Recordings, 1995-2010

Series V. Posters, 1998-2008

Preferred Citation

Marilyn Horne Foundation Records, 1991-2011, CTC.2010.01, Curtis Theatre Collection, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Previous Citation

Marilyn Horne Foundation Records, 1991-2011, CTC.2010.01, Curtis Theatre Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Marilyn Horne Foundation

    Personal Names

    • Horne, Marilyn

    Genres

    • Photographs
    • Video recordings (physical artifacts)

    Other Subjects

    • Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Endowments -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Music
    • Pianists -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Associations
    • Singers -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Concerts -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Music -- Performance -- New York (State) -- New York
    • Vocal music -- Study and teaching -- New York (State) -- New York

Container List