Making a Difference
Students from Fretz Middle School visit the Marilyn Horne Museum in downtown Bradford, Pennsylvania.
"For my mother, there is no greater impact the museum can have than to bring exposure to classical music to people who might otherwise not experience it."
Dr. Angela Lewis Houle
Dr. Angela Lewis Houle
When I first heard that the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was going to create a museum honoring my mother, Marilyn Horne, I was thrilled. Her accomplishments certainly warrant the recognition, but I was also puzzled. How was my mother’s small-town-girl-makes-good story going to sustain a permanent space? Well, when I went to the opening of the museum in May of 2017, I got the answer. I was, quite frankly, blown away by the vision of the Pitt-Bradford team. They certainly created a first-class tribute to my mother’s life and career, but it is more than that. The Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center provides its visitors a universally relatable connection to opera and classical music while building awareness and appreciation for opera and its cultural origins.
The museum has certainly done that since 2017, with over 11,000 people visiting this cultural gem in Bradford. Area school groups, bus tours, tour groups, home schoolers, summer camps, university guests, and others have experienced opera (often for the first time) through immersive, interactive audio and visual exhibits that line the walls of the museum. Recently, my mother was thrilled to receive endearing letters and drawings from a group of summer camp children who visited the museum; they expressed how much they enjoyed their experience and how much they learned about opera. You can imagine what it means to my mother to know the museum is broadening horizons in this way!
In addition, the museum continues to host special events, including The Candlelight Concert Series, featuring recital artists from around the world, and intimate evenings in the museum’s ‘La Fenice’ recital hall and other venues on the Pitt-Bradford campus. The traditional holiday bazaar and carol singing have launched the holiday season with a Victorian flair. Special exhibitions include The Art of Opera Costumes, African American Voices, and ‘Beyond Beethoven,’ which highlights the lives and contributions of composers throughout history whose impact was significant but may not have come with the merited renown.
All of these incredible activities help to make the museum truly unique and vital, but they cannot be sustained without your help. That is why I am coming to you with a special request. My husband Andre and I are so proud to be able to support the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center and its important work celebrating opera and my mother’s incredible legacy. Please join us in ensuring its future!
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.
The museum has certainly done that since 2017, with over 11,000 people visiting this cultural gem in Bradford. Area school groups, bus tours, tour groups, home schoolers, summer camps, university guests, and others have experienced opera (often for the first time) through immersive, interactive audio and visual exhibits that line the walls of the museum. Recently, my mother was thrilled to receive endearing letters and drawings from a group of summer camp children who visited the museum; they expressed how much they enjoyed their experience and how much they learned about opera. You can imagine what it means to my mother to know the museum is broadening horizons in this way!
In addition, the museum continues to host special events, including The Candlelight Concert Series, featuring recital artists from around the world, and intimate evenings in the museum’s ‘La Fenice’ recital hall and other venues on the Pitt-Bradford campus. The traditional holiday bazaar and carol singing have launched the holiday season with a Victorian flair. Special exhibitions include The Art of Opera Costumes, African American Voices, and ‘Beyond Beethoven,’ which highlights the lives and contributions of composers throughout history whose impact was significant but may not have come with the merited renown.
All of these incredible activities help to make the museum truly unique and vital, but they cannot be sustained without your help. That is why I am coming to you with a special request. My husband Andre and I are so proud to be able to support the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center and its important work celebrating opera and my mother’s incredible legacy. Please join us in ensuring its future!
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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