Memorial Minute: Marlene Rosen 1942-2025

Good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to share this Memorial Minute to honor my friend and colleague, Marlene Rosen.

Marlene Ralis Rosen held degrees from Temple University and the University of Illinois. Her teachers included Richard Miller, Helen Hodam, Dalton Baldwin, Hugues Cuenod, Gerard Souzay, and Paul Ulanovsky. She appeared as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Philadelphia Brazilian Festival Orchestra, University of Evansville Oratorio Society, Canton Symphony, and the New Music Associates of Cleveland State University. 

Additionally, she appeared numerous times with the Plum Creek Chamber Ensemble, the Fischer Duo and the Ensemble Pierrot, and gave recitals in Germany, Holland, Finland, and China. She appeared as a collaborative musician with Pierre Boulez, George Crumb, John Harbison, Luciano Berio, and John Cage and recorded for a number of labels.

Marlene began her 40-year teaching career at the Oberlin Conservatory in 1982, starting as assistant professor of voice and retiring as professor of voice in 2022. She was a wonderful advocate for her students, the voice division, and the conservatory at large. 

She always strived for excellence in her teaching, providing her students with a foundation of instruction and guidance that served them well. Marlene was a powerful presence, and her students loved to comment on how she commanded attention in her French Diction class and her studio class. She treasured conversations with voice students, and supported their journey even if they weren’t studying with her.   

Of course, she was the first to admit that we all fall in love with talent and with the sound of the human voice. But she knew encouraging a love of poetry and communication only makes it stronger. Everyone who knew Marlene knew that she loved the spoken word, and instilled in her students that same love. She also reminded us that we can always teach someone to sing, but that providing students with a liberal arts education gives them something to say. 

Marlene was never shy about telling you what she thought, and welcomed productive confrontations. From casual conversations in the hall to in-depth conversations in her studio, you always knew what was important to her. When I first started at Oberlin, I asked her how six voice faculty members with strong egos could come to a consensus about anything. She responded that we could always agree to disagree, but in the end, we all want what is best for our students.

Personally, I will remember her taking notes for her singers in Hall Auditorium during each opera production, where she would sit with her copy of the vocal score and a flashlight. She also allowed me to sit beside her in Kulas Recital Hall, where she always held court in the back corner. I enjoyed her breathing and sound effects when her students were singing; it was her way of staying connected to her students when they were performing. 

We also shared the Met HD broadcasts at the Apollo, and road trips to Toledo and Pittsburgh to see operas. Her daughter once called when we were driving and asked where Marlene was going. She responded, “Honey, we travel anywhere for great opera!”

Marlene was always very kind and supportive of me, both as a teacher and as a performer, and we often discussed how to provide the best possible experience for our students. Although I never had the pleasure of hearing her sing, it was evident from her teaching and her leadership that she brought her own performance experience to her studio and was the best cheerleader for her students and her colleagues. Her knowledge of the French mélodie was incredible, she was an expert at teaching French diction, and she loved contemporary vocal music. 

After 40 years of teaching hundreds of voice students at Oberlin, we will always remember her passion for teaching, and how strongly she advocated for our singers. May her memory be a blessing.

Memorial Minute written and read at a general faculty meeting by Professor of Voice Tim LeFebvre.