About The Marilyn Horne Foundation

History of the Foundation

Marilyn Horne Volunteers
Marilyn in recital.  Martin Katz, piano.  Photo:  Fort Worth Star Telegramme 1992

After four decades as one of America's most beloved opera and concert singers (performing over 1,300 recitals), Marilyn Horne became increasingly concerned about the diminishing recital opportunities for young singers throughout the United States, a situation due largely to the decrease in government funding of the arts, the diminishing of arts education programs in K-12 schools, and the entertainment industry's aggressive promotion of non-classical genres. Because she believes that preparing and performing vocal recitals was vitally important to her own development as a singer, Ms. Horne founded the Marilyn Horne Foundation, Inc. (MHF) in 1993 to ensure that young singers in this new millennium have the same opportunities she had, and that the vocal recital remains a viable and living art form in this country. Today her foundation is one of the leading non-profit vocal arts organizations in the USA.

To learn more about Marilyn Horne, mezzo-soprano, click here.

MHF Programs

  • The Song Continues…: 4-day festival each January at Carnegie Hall -- 3 master classes; 3   recitals, including the Annual Recital; and world premiere of commissioned songs.
  • National Artist Residencies: Partnerships with concert presenters across the US offering 4 days of mini-recitals in local schools and a full-length recital for the community.
  • On Wings of Song Recitals, Broadcasts and Webcasts: Recitals of emerging vocalists – 4 recitals in New York City and 2 in museums in other US cities. Recitals are broadcast/webcast by 96.3 FM WQXR New York.
  • NYC School Programs: Mini-recitals by emerging vocalists in NYC schools serving high-risk children grades 1 – 12.
  • MHF Awards at the Music Academy of the West: Competition for singers and vocal accompanists enrolled at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. Each summer the MHF’s panel of jurors (all esteemed professionals from the music industry) selects a vocalist and pianist awardee to join the roster of MHF artists; encouragement awards are also given at the jurors discretion.

Marilyn Horne Foundation

Inauguration of the MHF, January 16, 1994 at Carnegie Hall.
Joining Marilyn on stage for the festivities were (front row) Helen Donath, Frederica von Stade, Monteserrat Caballe, (middle row) Martin Katz, Renée Fleming, Marilyn, Ruth Ann Swenson, Olafur Bjarnason, (back row) Klaus Donath, Warren Jones, Samuel Ramey, James Levine, and Manuel Burgueras.  Photo: Henry Fair