Making a Difference
Students from Fretz Middle School visit the Marilyn Horne Museum in downtown Bradford, Pennsylvania.
"If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them."
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Luciano Pavarotti
Many of history’s greatest opera stars were born into humble surroundings far from the world’s great cultural centers. Luciano Pavarotti was the son of a baker and a cigar factory worker. He lived with his parents and sister in a tiny two-room apartment on the outskirts of Modena, Italy. Leontyne Price was born in the deeply segregated South in rural Mississippi in the 1920s, a time when African Americans had little opportunity to rise out of poverty. Renée Fleming was the daughter of two music teachers from Indiana, Pennsylvania; and Marilyn Horne was the daughter of the local tax assessor and lived with her family in the back of a baker’s shop in Depression-Era Bradford, Pennsylvania. These four singers would go on to win a combined 30 Grammy Awards over the course of their careers and become known as international celebrities.
Whether through family influences, listening to the radio, or participation in the church choir, each of these great singers was introduced to the art of opera and the power of music despite economic adversity and growing up far from the dazzling stages of the Metropolitan Opera or La Scala. It is difficult to say where the next great opera legend will come from, but without exposure the next great voice may never know about the world of opera and its rich history and legacy.
The Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center is located far from the great American art museums and opera houses. It is nestled in the heart of Marilyn Horne’s birthplace, the hometown that she never forgot in rural northern Pennsylvania. The museum serves a region where unemployment is above the national average and economic hardship impacts a great many families. And among those families may be the next Marilyn Horne.
Although it is the museum’s mission to further interest in the art of opera and to inspire and educate new generations on the importance of art, culture and philanthropy, it is our first priority to reach as many young people in our region as possible. Whether through museum visits, outreach programming, or special events, the museum strives every day to make the space accessible and welcoming to all. It is our hope that the museum will make a lasting impression on a young person who would never otherwise have had the opportunity to be introduced to the magical world of opera.
Your gift to the museum matters. Through the wonderful collection of Marilyn Horne, the story of her rise and her lifelong achievements, we can bring the world of opera to new audiences and new generations from humble backgrounds and inspire them to reach the heights of stars such as Pavarotti, Price, Fleming, and Horne.
If you have already given to the museum, we thank you for your generosity. If you are new to our programming, we hope that you will consider us in your giving plans. Please feel free to contact us directly at 814-362-7990. We would love to tell you more about what we do and how you can help.
Whether through family influences, listening to the radio, or participation in the church choir, each of these great singers was introduced to the art of opera and the power of music despite economic adversity and growing up far from the dazzling stages of the Metropolitan Opera or La Scala. It is difficult to say where the next great opera legend will come from, but without exposure the next great voice may never know about the world of opera and its rich history and legacy.
The Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center is located far from the great American art museums and opera houses. It is nestled in the heart of Marilyn Horne’s birthplace, the hometown that she never forgot in rural northern Pennsylvania. The museum serves a region where unemployment is above the national average and economic hardship impacts a great many families. And among those families may be the next Marilyn Horne.
Although it is the museum’s mission to further interest in the art of opera and to inspire and educate new generations on the importance of art, culture and philanthropy, it is our first priority to reach as many young people in our region as possible. Whether through museum visits, outreach programming, or special events, the museum strives every day to make the space accessible and welcoming to all. It is our hope that the museum will make a lasting impression on a young person who would never otherwise have had the opportunity to be introduced to the magical world of opera.
Your gift to the museum matters. Through the wonderful collection of Marilyn Horne, the story of her rise and her lifelong achievements, we can bring the world of opera to new audiences and new generations from humble backgrounds and inspire them to reach the heights of stars such as Pavarotti, Price, Fleming, and Horne.
If you have already given to the museum, we thank you for your generosity. If you are new to our programming, we hope that you will consider us in your giving plans. Please feel free to contact us directly at 814-362-7990. We would love to tell you more about what we do and how you can help.
Our CommunityThe Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center is located in the heart of a rural six-county region. Just over 200,000 residents are spread across approximately 6,000 square miles. Among this population are over 30,000 students enrolled in grades K-12. This means that the museum has the ability to directly touch the lives of over 30,000 young people annually.
The arts are vital to vibrant and economically sustainable communities. Located in the heart of Bradford's historic downtown, the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center is an integral part of the economic revitalization of this region. Here many students not only experience what it is like to visit a museum for the first time, but they are immersed in the colors, sights, and sounds of operatic performance. Experiences such as these are indelible to the cultural awareness of young minds and help to inspire curiosity and creativity. |
Marilyn Horne Hall overlooks Bradford's Veteran's Square
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