Lee was born in
Meridian, Mississippi. Her father, James Clarence Olden, was a member of the
Fisk Quartet, which included
Roland Hayes. She studied piano and organ at
Howard University and
Oberlin Conservatory. Among the highlights of her career: • She was invited to play at the
White House for the inauguration of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933). • In 1942, she toured with
Paul Robeson. • In 1956, she began studies with famed German
baritone Gerhard Huesch. Lee taught at a number of universities, including the
Curtis Institute of Music. She is well known as a masterclass teacher. Lee's brother was the prominent African-American
graphic designer Georg Olden. In 2017, Lee was commemorated in a concert at Carnegie Hall, sponsored by the Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture. ==References==