Philadelphia Orchestra, Ensemble Arts rededicate Verizon Hall as Marian Anderson Hall

On Saturday, June 8, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts officially rededicated Verizon Hall as Marian Anderson Hall, the first major concert venue in the world to honor the late contralto, civil rights icon, and Philadelphian.

The dedication ceremony took place Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Plaza at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, followed by a Great Stages Concert in the evening featuring Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning legend Queen Latifah.

The celebration was the first concert to take place in the newly named hall, and featured performances by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra with soprano Angel Blue, actress and singer Audra McDonald, soprano Latonia Moore, and jazz pianist Marcus Roberts.

The musical selections of the concert were all connected to Marian Anderson, including “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and a special orchestration of Florence Price’s arrangement of the spiritual “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” both sung by Anderson during the historic concert on April 9, 1939, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial after she was denied the opportunity to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, because of her race.

Marian Anderson Hall is a permanent monument to its namesake’s artistry and achievements, a reflection of the inclusive future she helped to engender, and an active testament to the intersection of music, art, and positive social impact.