(1) Emma [Cecelia] Thursby: Noted American (Brooklyn: 1845 - 1931) concert artist. Studied with Erminia Rudersdorff and Maurice Strakosch. Her first concert appearance was at the Old Bushwick Reformed Winter Church, to which her family belonged. Teacher of Geraldine Farrar. In 1924 she suffered what was likely a stroke that left her paralyzed on her left side.

(2) Zelda Seguin [nee Zelda Harrison], American contralto. She received voice lessons in New York from Anne Childes Seguin, who later became her mother-in-law when Zelda married her son, Edward S.R. Seguin. Anne Seguin introduced Zelda to Minnie Hauk, who was instrumental in arranging an opportunity to sing on the stage. She made her singing debut in concert in Saratoga (1865 at the age of 17). Her opera debut was in Chicago as Lazarello in Maritana. She also sang at the French Theatre in Boston, with Caroline Riching's company, Clara Louise Kellogg's company, the Strakosch company, and Emma Abbott's company. Her longest period was with Parepa-Rosa's company. She avoided singing outside of her vocal range, but on occasion she had to fill in when Parepa-Rosa was ill:

"... to save a performance I sang Arline in The Bohemian Girl without a rehearsal. In fact, I had never studied the part. I simply remembered it from having heard it sung so often. Carl Rosa was the musical conductor, and at rehearsals he would stop Parepa as often as he did any one else. When Parepa went to London she wanted me to go with her, but I refused. I suppose that if I had gone I should never have returned. As it turned out, my whole career was devoted to this country and the singing of opera in English." 26 Jun 1911, New York Times.

About Emma Abbott, Seguin said:

"... I sang with Emma Abbott, who had a beautiful voice, but certain eccentricities, which in the end made it impossible for her to sing in New York. The critics were very severe with her. She had an extremely bad trill. You could throw your hat between the notes. And she was willing to gratify anybody's request to sing Nearer, My God, to Thee or Comin' Through the Rye in any opera which she might happen to be singing." 26 Jun 1911, New York Times.

(3) Antonio Galassi: Italian baritone (1845 - 1904): Covent Garden 1875 Italian Royal Opera season. Father to Elvira Galassi di Lorenzo (Cesena: 30 Aug 1883 - Mailand: 21 Apr 1954). Galassi was part of Adelina Patti's touring company along with Mme Fabbri (contralto), Louise Engel (mezzo), Durwald Lely (tenor), and Franco Navara (bass) [Music Hall: New York: 13 Nov 1893]. Also at the Music Hall on 21 Feb 1893, Galassi participated in a benefit (Orthopedic Dispensary and Hospital) concert of Wagner's music. He was not well received: "The same cannot be said for Signor Galassi, except in one instance when he lost the pitch on an entrance. In other places he had a firm grip on every note, and he kept it till his breath was well-nigh spent. His phrasing was consequently highly original and not lovely." He was seen at Chickering Hall in New York [2 Feb 1892] giving a concert (with Emil Fischer, Italo Campanini, Victor Herbert [as a cellist], among others) for the benefit of the basso, Clemente Bologna who had been sick and disabled for a long time.

(4-5) Emma Nevada (Alpha, near Nevada City, CA, 7 Feb 1859 - Liverpool, 20 Jan 1940), American soprano and mother of Mignon Nevada. Nevada was a pupil of Marchesi. She made her opera début (1880) at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, in La sonnambula, an opera for which was she particularly known. After performing in Italy and Paris she returned to the United States in 1884 to perform at the New York Academy of Music.

Back in England she sang in the first performance of Mackenzie’s Rose of Sharon (1884), The soprano role was written for her. She performed often in concerts and a noted feature of them were her many changes of dress, culminating in the appearance of her wedding dress [she was married to Dr. Raymond Palmer]. The wedding dress was often spoken of in news reports… "It was announced that the soprano would wear her famous white velvet bridal dress at the concert. She wore a white dress, but whether it was velvet or not will always remain a mystery so far as I am concerned. When the tenor stepped on it accidentally, however, I noticed that he left the imprint of his heel on it plainly." Brooklyn Eagle

(6) [Dame] Emma Albani [orig. Marie Louise Cecilie Emma Lajeunesse] Canadian soprano (1 Nov 1847 - 2 Apr 1930): Debut Messina (1870) as Amina (Sonnambula). Florence, Malta, great success at Covent Garden. Paris, St. Petersburg, Moscow. Academy of Music in NY. Married to impresario Ernest Gye and lived in London. For London she created Elisabeth (Tannhäuser) and Elsa (Lohengrin). Favorite of Queen Victoria for whom she performed many times.

(7) Christine Nilsson [orig. Tornerhjelm] (20 Aug 1843 - 22 Nov 1921): Swedish soprano. She made her debut (1864) as Violetta in La Traviata at the Théâtre-Lyrique in Paris. Her operatic credits include the first Ophelia in Thomas's Hamlet (1868), the first London and New York Mignons, London's first Margherita in Boito's Mefistofele, and she was Marguerite in Faust in the first ever performance at the Metropolitan Opera (1883).

(8) Christine Nilsson as Marguerite in Faust.

(9) Marie Roze.

(10) Therese Tietjens [also Tietiens] (1831- 1877): A Mora image of the German soprano (of Hungarian parents). She made her debut (1848) as Erma in Le Macon in Hamburg. She was London's first Amelia (un Ballo in Maschera), Marguerite (Faust), Leonora (La Forza del Destino), Elena (Vêpres Siciliennes), Mireille, and Medea. On 13 Apr 1858 Tietjens opened the season at Her Majesty's Theatre in London as Valentin in Huguenots. The Queen, who was in attendance, said "It was beautiful." Tietjen's appearances were a great success. By the late 1870s Tietjens, who in her later years often performed in pain, died of cancer and was buried in London's Kensal Green Cemetery.

(11) Annie Louise Cary (22 Oct 1841 - 3 Apr 1921): American mezzo. Debut Copenhagen 1868, Azucena. Stockholm, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, London (as Louise Cari). Sang Amneris in first USA Aida. Also the first American-born woman to sing a Wagner role (Ortrud: 1877). Serious vocal trouble resulted in her retirement in 1881.