Name: Inspiring Voices
Start: 2024-10-20T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2024-10-20T12:00:00+02:00
Location: La Monnaie

Presentation

Washington, April 1939. Having been refused permission to perform at Constitution Hall because of her skin colour, the celebrated contralto Marian Anderson sang in front of 75,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The concert went down in history as one of the most groundbreaking in the long struggle for equality in the classical music industry and, 80 years on, it is the starting point for The Time of Our Singing, an opera that does not shy away from that theme.

Marian Anderson, who performed at La Monnaie in 1956, was not alone. From Robert McFerrin to Whitney Houston, from Leontyne Price to Nina Simone: the history of music abounds in singers who have had to fight racism and discrimination to display their unique talent. How did this Golden Generation view its place in the music world? Who were their illustrious predecessors in the 18th and 19th centuries? And how did they manage to break down the barriers? As you stroll through the La Monnaie theatre, you will discover the inspiring stories behind these personalities and how with their outstanding voices they paved the way for a more inclusive and more diverse opera scene.

With: Marian Anderson, Grace Bumbry, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, Sissieretta Jones, Caterina Jarboro, Florence Cole Talbert, Paul Robeson, William Warfield, Yma Sumac, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston …

Dates & tickets

19.10.2024 & 20.10.2024
10:00 & 12:00

Location

La Monnaie

Prices

We apply the ‘pay what you want’ principle, with a suggested price of €14. Feel free to choose €4 if this rate suits your current financial circumstances better. If you can afford a €18 ticket, we thank you for ensuring that others can pay less.

Running time

1:30

Language

EN/FR/NL

More info

events@lamonnaie.be

Raising Voices Festival

The power of music, diversity and togetherness: from 17 to 22 October, La Monnaie celebrates The Time of Our Singing with a long weekend full of concerts, performances, lectures, workshops, tours and events in the heart of Brussels.