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Anna Hamlin

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Anna Hamlin
A white woman wearing a costume including a wig and a long print gown in 18th-century style
Anna Hamlin in costume, from a 1927 publication
Born
Anna Mary Hamlin

September 10, 1898
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 24, 1988 (aged 89)
New York, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Opera singer, voice teacher
ParentGeorge Hamlin

Anna Hamlin (September 10, 1898[1] – May 24, 1988) was an American soprano singer associated with the Chicago Civic Opera Company. From 1939 to 1959, she was a professor of voice at Smith College, and "widely known as one of the most distinguished of voice teachers".[2]

Early life and education

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Hamlin was born in Chicago, the daughter of George Hamlin and Harriet Rebecca Eldredge Hamlin. Her father was a noted tenor singer.[3] She studied voice with Marcella Sembrich.[4]

Career

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Hamlin was a lyric soprano who appeared in opera roles and gave recitals.[5] With the Chicago Civic Opera she played the Page in Masked Ball in 1927.[6] In 1928, she was a soloist at the Adirondack Music Festival[7] and sang in Monte Carlo.[8] Composer Amy Beach dedicated a song to Hamlin.[9] In 1931, she gave a recital in Cincinnati, including a song by local composer Louise Snodgrass.[10] She sang on radio in the 1930s.[11]

From 1939 to 1959, Hamlin was a music professor at Smith College.[12][13] She conducted summer master classes in Milan in 1956.[2][14] Her students included Judith Raskin,[15][16] music professor Lynn Clarke Meyers,[17] Lucy Kelston,[2] Daniel Ferro,[2] Nico Castel,[13] and actress Jane White.[18] In retirement she wrote a memoir, Father was a Tenor (1978).[12][19]

Publications

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  • Father was a Tenor (1978)[20]

Personal life and legacy

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Hamlin died in 1988, at the age of 89, in a New York City nursing home. Her memorial service was held in a recital space at Carnegie Hall.[12] The George and Anna Hamlin Papers, including her diaries and concert programs, are in the collection of the New York Public Library.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Some sources give 1900 as Hamlin's birth year; her Cook County birth certificate shows the date 10 September 1898; this matches her age (11) in the 1910 U.S. federal census, and her 1966 claim for Social Security; all via Ancestry.
  2. ^ a b c d "Many Vocalists Taught in Italy by Anna Hamlin; Professional Singers Return to her for Instruction". The Morning Union. 1956-10-21. p. 56. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Anna Hamlin a Charming Artist". The Musical Leader. 57 (21): 8. November 21, 1929.
  4. ^ "Lamperti Tradition". BCVS. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  5. ^ "Anna Hamlin" The Music News 19(January 28, 1927): 44.
  6. ^ "Anna Hamlin". Music Magazine. 2 (17): 36. December 1927.
  7. ^ "Adirondack Music Festival". The New Music Review. 28 (325): 20. December 1928.
  8. ^ "Anna Hamlin". Musical America. 48: 15. August 4, 1928.
  9. ^ Block, Adrienne Fried (2000). Amy Beach, Passionate Victorian: The Life and Work of an American Composer, 1867-1944. Oxford University Press. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-19-513784-2.
  10. ^ "Music Notes". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1930-03-09. p. 68. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Rogers, Ernest (1935-12-19). "Anna Hamlin in 'Music Hall'". The Atlanta Journal. p. 31. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c Heise, Kenan (1988-06-09). "Anna Hamlin, singer and voice instructor". Chicago Tribune. p. 36. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ a b "Anna Hamlin Resigns at Smith Vocal Teacher". The Morning Union. 1959-05-31. p. 49. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Clark, Willard M. (1956-06-03). "Second Thoughts on Music". The Morning Union. p. 32. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Collection: Judith Raskin papers". Smith College Finding Aids. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  16. ^ Rothstein, Edward (May 15, 1981). "Judith Raskin: Her Heart's in Recitals". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  17. ^ "Lynn Clarke Meyers Donates Spanish Song Collection". The Brook Center. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  18. ^ "Collection: Jane White papers". Smith College Finding Aids. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
  19. ^ "Book of Memoirs is Being Written by Anna Hamlin". The Morning Union. 1958-11-09. p. 65. Retrieved 2025-01-06 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Hamlin, Anna M. (1978). Father was a Tenor. Exposition Press.
  21. ^ "George and Anna Hamlin papers". New York Public Library Archives and Manuscripts. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
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