Marilyn Horne Returns for Voice Master Classes Feb. 19 & 21

Marilyn Horne, the celebrated mezzo-soprano who has been called perhaps “the most influential singer in American history” by Opera News, returns to Oberlin this week to work with voice students and lead a pair of public master classes.

Horne's visit, made possible through a gift by philanthropist Stephen Rubin, will be highlighted by master classes in Finney Chapel at 8 p.m. Friday, February 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, February 21. Friday's session will include music by Mozart, Berlioz, Donizetti, and others; Sunday will feature Brahms, Bach, Debussy, Schubert, and more.

Tickets to each master class are $5; admission is free for anyone with an OCID and for subscribers to the Artist Recital Series.

In addition, both master classes will be streamed live at oberlin.edu.

“Universally acknowledged as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, Marilyn Horne has evolved into one of the greatest teachers of our time,” says Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt & Co. and a longtime friend of Horne's. “The reason for this is simple: Marilyn has the goods, and she is that rare artist whose generosity of spirit allows her to share her magical secrets with an intelligence and candor that is enviably straightforward.”

In 2013, Rubin established the Marilyn Horne Professorship and Residency Fund, which supports visits by Horne to Oberlin through the 2015-16 academic year. The fund also provides financial assistance for career-advancement opportunities to the most promising voice students in the conservatory. Those students earn the designation "Rubin Scholars." Meryl Dominguez ’14, Emily Hopkins ’15, and Joshua Blue ’16 have earned the distinction in the program's initial years.

For more information on Marilyn Horne and other arts at Oberlin, visit the online Arts Guide.