Opera Star Marilyn Horne to Visit Pitt-Bradford for Discussion About Archives

Bradford native and opera star Marilyn Horne will visit the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford from Oct. 6-8 to discuss the donation of her archives to the university.

The discussion will center on the second phase of her donation, which would include her personal archives. Earlier this year, her foundation, the Marilyn Horne Foundation, donated its archives to Pitt-Bradford.

Those are currently in storage at University of Pittsburgh Archives Services Center in Pittsburgh, which is also home to the archives of former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.

The center will also help with the processing, digitizing and managing of the collection.

Although several other institutions, including the Library of Congress, had sought the archives, Horne is now in discussions with only Pitt-Bradford.

“As a native of Bradford, Marilyn has a soft spot in her heart for her hometown and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, Pitt-Bradford president.

“When she indicated her interest in discussing the possible location of her archive collection at Pitt-Bradford and the University of Pittsburgh, we enthusiastically embraced the idea. We look forward to continuing our discussions with Marilyn when she visits our campus next month.”

The Horne Foundation has been supportive of the university for many years, presenting two recitals each year in the Bromeley Family Theater. In addition to recitals, the young singers met with vocal students from the region as part of a residency, the last of which was held in January.

Horne herself has supported the university by serving as honorary chairwoman for the Blaisdell Fine Arts Challenge, which raised $3.4 million toward the construction of Pitt-Bradford’s fine arts building, Blaisdell Hall.

In 2000, Pitt-Bradford honored Horne with its Presidential Medal of Distinction, and in 2004, she became the first person to receive an honorary degree from the University of Pittsburgh at a regional campus.

Horne was born in 1934 in Bradford. Her father, Bentz Horne, encouraged his daughter to pursue her musical dreams. She moved with her family to Long Beach, Calif., when she was 11, and made her debut when she was 20 at the Los Angeles Guild Opera.

Following her father’s death in 1956, she traveled Europe, performing in many productions and receiving rave reviews.

She sang professionally for more than 40 years, becoming not only a star of the opera world, but also an ambassador to pop culture through appearances on “The Odd Couple,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “Carol Burnett and Friends” and “Sesame Street.”

In 1994, she formed the Marilyn Horne Foundation to nurture and champion not only young opera singers, but also the art of vocal recital. The foundation sponsored recitals for young singers at several locations, including Carnegie Hall and Pitt-Bradford, before becoming part of the Marilyn Horne legacy at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute.

Pictured, Marilyn Horne during the 2004 dedication of Blaisdell Hall, which also included the unveiling of the Marilyn Horne statue.
Photo courtesy of Pitt-Bradford