Academy of Vocal Arts

The Academy of Vocal Arts is a school dedicated to providing free higher education to aspiring opera singers. The school was founded in 1934 by Helen Corning Warden and is located at 1920 Spruce Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the Great Depression, few people could afford any kind of higher education, especially the long and costly training needed for a career in opera. Recognizing this difficulty, Helen Corning Warden, a prominent member of Philadelphia society, set out to establish a school where talented singers could receive highest quality training without having to suffer the financial burdens that such an education would normally entail. Encouraged by voice teacher Edgar Milton Cooke, Mrs. Warden and a group of her...