Anthony D. Anderson (born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

) is an American

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

tic baritone singer.

Early life

Anderson is the youngest of seven children; his father was killed in a drive-by shooting when he was 3 years old. Since then he lived with his mother, Charlene Anderson, and his other siblings. He attended the DC Prep

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...

. Here he was also introduced to the City Kids Wilderness Project. He graduated from

Duke Ellington School of the Arts The Duke Ellington School of the Arts (established 1974) is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School syst ...

where he found his desire of singing and devoted himself towards

. Over the years he learned skills in areas such as language in Italian and found he had a natural affinity towards German. He was employed at Chipotle but couldn't hold on to the position. He attended

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia ...

until June 2017, when he was forced to drop out because he could not afford $9,000 that

student loans A student loan is a type of loan designed to help students pay for post-secondary education and the associated fees, such as tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses. It may differ from other types of loans in the fact that the interes ...

did not cover, thus he was not able to re-enroll unless the debt was paid. Anderson has been accepted into the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consiste ...

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–186 ...

, and

Oberlin Conservatory of Music The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of ...

with full scholarships.

Career

He has been featured on the ''Today'' show. Anderson has performed at the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point ...

for the

Horatio Alger Association The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...

. He performed professionally at the

Fort Worth Opera Fort Worth Opera is the oldest continually-performing opera company in the state of Texas and among the oldest in the United States, according to the company. While originally presenting operas one at a time over a fall/winter season, it changed ...

. Anderson currently studies at the Oberlin Conservatory to further his education and hone his skills as a musician under the direction of Timothy LeFebvre. He is scheduled to graduate in the spring of 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Anthony American operatic baritones 21st-century American male opera singers 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American male singers African-American male opera singers Singers from Washington, D.C. Classical musicians from Washington, D.C. Virginia Commonwealth University alumni Living people 1990s births Year of birth uncertain