Melva Clemaire
Melva Clemaire (1874 – April 18, 1937) was the stage name of Mellie Wilde, an American soprano singer.
Early life
[edit]Mellie M. Wilde was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Francis F. Wilde and Melvina Ganyaw Wilde. Her father, who was born in Vienna, was a veteran of the American Civil War, and a real estate lawyer.[1] She studied music with Emil Oberhoffer.[2]
Career
[edit]Wilde made her first public concert appearance in 1895, at the Metropolitan Opera House in St. Paul.[3] Melva Clemaire toured Sweden in 1906, and sang at London's Albert Hall.[2] In 1907 and 1908 she was the featured performer touring nationally with the Bostonia Sextette Club.[4][5][6] She was described as having "a beautiful, clear soprano voice that shows fine training."[7] She also sang with the Henry W. Savage Opera Company and the Gallo Italian Grand Opera Company.[2] In 1915 she arranged for the San Carlo Grand Opera Company to perform in Minneapolis.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Wilde was a Christian Scientist.[9] She married Mark O. Graves in 1896.[10] She was widowed in 1924,[11] and she died in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1937, aged 63 years.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Castle, Henry Anson (1912). History of St. Paul and Vicinity. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 876 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c "Mrs. Melva M. Graves". Star Tribune. April 20, 1937. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A Week of Music" Saint Paul Globe (April 14, 1895): 14. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Bostonia Sextette" Wausau Daily Herald (December 11, 1907): 1. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Melva Clemaire, at Home and Abroad" Musical Courier (April 1, 1908): 30.
- ^ "A Double Concert" The St. Johnsbury Caledonian (March 4, 1908): 4. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "The Bostonia Sextette" Manhattan Nationalist (October 17, 1907): 1. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "San Carlo Grand Opera Coming to Metropolitan" Star Tribune (December 19, 1915): 50. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Christian Science Practitioners" Christian Science Journal (July 1921): xxxiii.
- ^ "Sunday's Pioneer Press" Little Falls Weekly Transcript (April 17, 1896): 9. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Apartment Manager Dies" Minneapolis Star (May 16, 1924): 18. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Melva Graves' Funeral is Set" Minneapolis Star (April 20, 1937): 13. via Newspapers.com
