Marilyn Horne was born on January 16, 1934, in Bradford, Pennsylvania. (“Marilyn Horne (Mezzo-soprano)”) She began her career at the age of two singing songs around the piano bench at home. At the age of four, Marilyn was invited to sing at an FDR rally. Years later, her parents moved to Los Angeles when she was eleven years old. There she studied at the University of California and participated in Lotto Lehmann’s vocal classes. (Huizeng, "Marilyn Horne: Opera's)
Her inspiration to pursue a career in music was her father. Unfortunately, he passed away in July of 1956. After his death, she then traveled to Europe with high hopes of furthering her career in music. After Europe, she traveled to Gelsenkirchen, Germany and joined the Gelsenkirchen Opera Company. She remained on this traveling roller-coaster performing in many different productions as a soprano. Singing such roles as Mimi in La Boheme, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann, Fulvia in Ezio, and Amelia in Simon Boccanergra. Her first successful role, as a singer, was Marie in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck at the Gelsenkirchen’s new opera house on May 22, 1650. Marilyn did not want to play the role of Marie, yet after receiving rare reviews Marie was Marilyn’s ticket back home to the USA. (“Marilyn…show more content… Although she felt comfortable singing in a lower register, it was partly through meeting soprano Joan Sutherland that enhanced her switch to mezzo roles. Marilyn’s unusually limber, rich and faultless voice was easily moved with her florid runs in Rossini and Handel, was suddenly in demand everywhere. (Huizeng, "Marilyn Horne: Opera's)Marilyn Horne was carful throughout her career to do whatever she was able to do, yet she expanded her range of roles of roles to include numerous of old works. Chicago was very fortunate to have experience many sides of her repertoire. (Duffie, “Marilyn Horne