Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Marianna Allen has been a musician and arts advocate ever since she first began music lessons at the age of three. Marianna’s first instrument was the violin, and although she studied the instrument through high school and continues to enjoy it recreationally, she eventually came to realize that her deeper interest and talent lay in vocal music. She is an impassioned choral musician with over 20 years of experience singing with choirs, usually rehearsing and performing with at least two or three different choirs each season. As a member of the Chattanooga Girls Choir, Marianna performed all across the United States and Europe, including singing Mass at the Vatican and in choral competitions in England, the Czech Republic, and Austria. As a member of the Tallahassee Community Chorus, she performed with the group for their Carnegie Hall debut in 2004.
As a soloist, Marianna has enjoyed performing in venues as varied as recital halls, churches and synagogues, and large concert halls. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree, she made her professional singing debut in November of 2001 at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a symposium performance of the aria “Salve Regina” from the contemporary opera Nosferatu. The opera’s composer and librettist, Alva Henderson and Dana Gioia, were in attendance. Marianna has enjoyed the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera on multiple occasions. She made her professional operatic debut with the CSO as Giovanna in their 2007 production of Rigoletto.
Marianna currently resides in Chattanooga, TN. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) and a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL). In 2010, she completed study in the Professional Actor Training Program at Chattanooga State Community College (Chattanooga, TN). She sings opera, musical theater, solo, and choral works.
