Title: Sylvia Olden Lee Papers, 1843-2004 (span)

ID: RG 30/369

Extent: 10.59 Linear Feet

Sylvia Olden Lee (1917-2004) was born in Meridan, Mississippi to parents who were active musicians: Olden Lee’s mother, Sylvia Alice Ward, was an accomplished opera singer, and her father, James Olden, was a minister and classical singer. The passion for music instilled in her by her parents led Olden Lee to embark on a musical career of her own, which proved to be both highly successful and groundbreaking.

Olden Lee began performing at a young age, learning to play the piano at age five and accompanying her parents’ singing on the piano by age eight. Her father’s ministerial career brought the family to Washington, D.C., where Olden Lee took the first steps in developing her musical career. In 1933, at just sixteen years old, Olden Lee performed at the White House in honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration. She was to be invited back by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942.

Rather than training to be a vocalist like her parents, Olden Lee opted to continue studying the piano. She enrolled at Howard University, where she spent two years, before transferring to the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, for which she received a full scholarship. Her career at Oberlin was laudable, and she participated in the Musical Union and was a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda honors society. Olden Lee graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory in 1938.

After her graduation, Olden Lee toured the country, most notably in 1942 with Paul Robeson. In 1944, she met and married Everett Lee, who was also a successful musician and orchestral conductor in his own right. The couple worked together throughout their marriage, including their joint Fulbright Scholarship. In 1952, Olden Lee and her husband were accepted as Fulbright Scholars to study in Italy, where she focused on opera and oratorio at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome.

One of the most important milestones in Olden Lee’s career was achieved in 1954, when she was offered the position of vocal coach with the Metropolitan Opera. She was the first African American musician to hold a position with the Met. She used her position to open the door for other talented African American musicians to perform with the prestigious organization, most notably Marian Anderson, who made history as the first African American to sing with the Metropolitan Opera, performing in Un Ballo in Maschera, as coached by Olden Lee.

After her time with the Met, Olden Lee’s career took her back to Europe, where, beginning in 1956, she lived and worked in Germany under a government grant producing television specials which aired in the country’s major cities. She returned to the United States in 1970, when she accepted the position of vocal coach at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a post she held until 1990.

While she retired from teaching in 1990, Olden Lee never truly retired, and another milestone came in 1997 when she performed for a television special at Carnegie Hall. She received an honorary doctorate in music from the Oberlin Conservatory in 2003 on the basis of her landmark career.

Olden Lee and her husband, Everett, had two children together: Everett Lee III and Eve. Their marriage ended in the early 1980s. After a battle with pancreatic cancer, Sylvia Olden Lee died on April 10, 2004 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sources Consulted

“4 to receive honorary degrees from Oberlin,” The Morning Journal, May 6, 2003.

Lee, Sylvia Olden, “Dialogue with Sylvia Olden Lee, Pianist and Vocal Coach: “Pay Attention to the Words,” The Schiller Institute website, February 7, 1998, http://www.schillerinstitute.org/fid_97-01/fid_981_lee_interview.html.

Sims, Gayle Ronan, “Sylvia Olden Lee, Coach to Marian Anderson, Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle, Has Died Aged 86,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 20, 2004, http://www.andante.com/article/print.cfm?id+23619&varticletype=NEWS.

Weiss, Judith, “Sharing the Lessons of a Lifetime,” Oberlin Conservatory Alumni Notes, 2004, http://www2.oberlin.edu/con/connews/2004/alumni_notes.html.

Author: Rebecca Sparagowski

Forms of Material (links to similar genres)

Languages of Materials

Administrative Information

Scope and Contents:

The Sylvia Olden Lee papers range in date from 1843 to 2004 and provide information about her career, her personal projects, and research interests. While the topics covered by materials in this collection largely relate to music and the musical projects Olden Lee undertook, many other subjects are represented also, such as racial equality and travel. The materials are arranged into seven series: 1. Biographical; 2. Correspondence; 3. Name Files; 4. Teaching and Project Files; 5. Programs and Flyers; 6. Organizational Files; and 7. Subject Files. The vast majority of the material is printed, and newspaper clippings comprise a large part of the collection, although there are handwritten notes, photographs, vinyl records, videocassettes, audiocassettes, and CDs in the collection as well.

Series 1. Biographical, 1920-2004, n.d. (0.83 l.f.)

Series 1 includes materials pertaining to Olden Lee’s family history, education, and awards. The majority of these materials relate directly to Olden Lee herself, although there are some which relate to others who were close to her. These materials reflect Olden Lee’s family history and are in the form of obituaries and genealogical research materials. Of particular note in this series are the papers concerning the honorary degree awarded to Olden Lee by Oberlin College at the 2003 commencement ceremonies; included here are correspondence organizing her visit to Oberlin, ceremony programs, and event flyers. The materials in this series are newspaper clippings, copies of census registers, photographs and an appointment book. There is also a small selection of artifacts, which include name tags from events Olden Lee attended, opera glasses, and an event pin.

Series 2. Correspondence, 1959-2004, n.d. (0.63 l.f.)

Series 2 comprises Olden Lee’s correspondence between 1959 and 2004. The correspondence, primarily letters received, is organized first into personal and professional correspondence and then by date. Some of Olden Lee’s personal correspondence dates from her time in Germany and come from friends made there, and is therefore in the German language. The rest of the letters are in English. The professional correspondence was sent to and received from institutions relevant either to Olden Lee’s work in formal organizations or her work with charitable groups.

Series 3. Name Files, 1843-2003, n.d. (4.38 l.f.)

Series 3 contains the files Olden Lee kept regarding former students, artists she had worked with, and people whose work she admired. Each individual represented in this series has a separate file, and the files are arranged alphabetically by last names. This material includes newspaper clippings, programs, printed music, occasional correspondence and photographs. There are some oversized items in this series, such as large sheets and books of music, which are housed in an oversize box. Several name files include non-textual materials, such as audio tapes, audiocassette tapes, CDs, and vinyl records.

Series 4. Teaching and Project Files, 1967-2003, n.d. (0.71 l.f.)

Series 4 contains files associated with Olden Lee’s teaching career and personal projects. Her teaching files span the years 1967 to 1997, and document her time at the University of Cincinnati, the Manhattan School of Music, the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts and the Curtis Institute. Olden Lee’s longest tenure was at the Curtis Institute, and the majority of her teaching files pertain to her time there. Her teaching files include programs from student performances, some correspondence with institutions and handwritten notes. The teaching files are organized first by institution and then by date. Even while Olden Lee pursued her teaching career, she engaged in projects to promote the arts, especially among minorities. Her project files relate to these personal projects, and include mission statements, project proposals, notes and flyers. Materials relating to Olden Lee’s projects are organized first by project and then by date.

Series 5. Programs and Flyers, 1941-2003, n.d. (0.54 l.f.)

Series 5 contains programs from the many musical and theatrical performances Olden Lee attended over the years and flyers for various performances and master classes she gave. The programs are arranged first by size and then by date. The flyers are arranged by date.

Series 6. Organizational Files, 1966-2004, n.d. (0.83 l.f.)

Series 6 comprises files related to various organizations of which Olden Lee was either a member or for which she worked on a project between the 1970s and 1990s. These organizations include the Coca-Cola Company; the National Association of Negro Musicians; Opera North, Inc.; the Schiller Institute; the Walker-Thomas Fund for Social Advancement; the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance; and William Grant Still Music, Inc. Included in these files are notes, publications from the organizations, and administrative records pertaining to Olden Lee’s involvement in the organization.

Series 7. Subject Files, 1935-2002, n.d. (2.67 l.f.)

Series 7 contains files on subjects which interested Olden Lee and upon which she did research. These files cover a wide range of topics, such as African American history, vocal health, singer biographies, and maps and travel guides, among many others. Included in the subject files are newspaper clippings, notes and printed publications such as music and maps, with the largest amount of material being newspaper clippings. Some large materials are housed in an oversize box.

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