Dora de Phillippe (born October 16, 1887 – died after February 1931), born Dora Auspitz, was a French soprano opera singer, based in North America, also known for her work in war relief during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life

Dora Auspitz was born in Paris, the daughter of Jules Auspitz and Augustine Bruckner Auspitz. She trained as a singer in Berlin and Vienna. Her publicity said she was of "French-Austrian heritage" and that her father was a banker and a writer.

Career

Dora de Phillippe first performed in the United States in 1902, and was already "an accomplished lieder singer", playing

soubrette A soubrette is a type of operatic soprano voice ''fach'', often cast as a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy". Theatre In theatre, a soubrette is a c ...

parts in San Francisco, by 1904. She sang with the National Opera of Canada, the

Chicago Grand Opera Company Two grand opera companies in Chicago, Illinois, have gone by the name Chicago Grand Opera Company during the first half of the 20th century. Like many opera ventures in Chicago, both succumbed to financial difficulties within a few years, and i ...

, and the Aborn Opera Company, among others. She was one of the first to perform ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...

'' in English for American audiences, and was credited with singing the part of Cio-Cio-San more than any other singer at the time."Madame Dora de Phillippe, Former Prima Donna of Chicago Opera Co., Will Be Heard in City"
''Altoona Times'' (June 19, 1916): 12. via Newspapers.com She also sang the part in Italian. De Phillippe's other roles included Nedda in ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, "Clowns") is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who m ...

'' and Micaela in ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

''. In 1916, she began as a Chautauqua presenter, hoping to bring opera to untraditional audiences outside major cities. During World War I, de Phillippe was active in warwork, publicizing

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

efforts to provide warm clothing for soldiers, and giving benefit concerts for the Red Cross and for

Liberty Bonds A liberty bond (or liberty loan) was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financi ...

. Her rendition of '' La Marseillaise'' was especially sought, because "the hymn is rarely given with greater fervor than when she sings it." After the war and in widowhood, de

Phillippe Phillippe is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Phillippe * Phillippe Aumont (born 1989), Canadian baseball player * Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy (1583–1660), French nobleman ...

continued on stage and on the Chautauqua circuit. She headed her own touring company in 1926. She also continued giving concerts for charities, including for the Blind Relief Fund of Philadelphia in 1927. In 1931, she sang a recital in New York City.

Personal life

Dora de Phillippe married American theatrical manager Arthur S. Phinney in 1909. Phinney died in 1920."A. S. Phinney, Manager of Many Shows, is Dead"
''New-York Tribune'' (June 7, 1920): 6. via Newspapers.com

References

External links

A photograph of Dora de Phillippe
in the American National Red Cross photograph collection of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Phillippe, Dora De 1887 births 20th-century deaths Year of death missing French women singers French women in World War I