Edith Bideau (November 6, 1888 — 1958), later Edith Bideau Normelli, was an American soprano and music educator from Kansas.

Early life

Edith Mae Bideau was from

Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,722. Chanute is home ...

, the daughter of Georges K. Bideau and Jennie Hale Bideau. Her father was a councilman in Chanute. She earned bachelor's degrees from

Baker University Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Art ...

Baldwin City, Kansas Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university. History ...

in 1911, where she wrote the school song, "Hail! Old Baker"; and from

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

in 1912. She pursued further music studies in Italy, and with

Richard Hageman Richard Hageman (9 July 1881 – 6 March 1966) was a Dutch-born American conductor, pianist, composer, and actor. Biography Hageman was born and raised in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands. He was the son of Maurits Hageman of Zutphen, a vio ...

in New York.

Career

Bideau taught voice and was director of the vocal department at the State Normal School in

Pittsburg, Kansas Pittsburg is a city in Crawford County, Kansas, United States, located in southeast Kansas near the Missouri state border. It is the most populous city in Crawford County and southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ci ...

from 1916 to 1919. At the beginning of

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 ...

, she was in Italy, and there were concerns for her safety. When she returned to the United States, she gave concerts for troops stationed in Kansas. She was director of music and instructor in church music at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

in 1935. She taught voice at

Iola, Kansas Iola () is the county seat of Allen County, Kansas, United States. The city is situated along the Neosho River in southeast Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,396. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn. History ...

in 1947. Bideau was a concert and oratorio soloist in Chicago and Pittsburgh. She made her New York debut in 1920, at Aeolian Hall. "Her voice is a soprano of very pure quality, a voice that is at its best in lyric matters," noted one reviewer. Another witness, however, reported that "she was altogether too nervous to inspire critical confidence." She toured the midwest as a performer in 1921. On Christmas Day in 1921, she sang solos at six different events in New York City. She wrote "Tone Coloring in Singing" an essay published in ''Étude'' magazine in 1955.

Personal life

Edith Bideau married Swedish diplomat Carl Gustav Normelli in 1920. She was widowed when Normelli died in 1957, and she died in 1958, aged 69 years; her grave is in Kansas. Kansas legislator

Edwin Bideau Edwin 'Ed' H. Bideau III (October 1, 1950 – September 5, 2013) was a lawyer, farmer, rancher, and Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 9th district (Neosho County, Kansas and Allen County, Kansas). Bideau ...

was her great-nephew, her brother Edwin Hale Bideau's grandson.Edwin Bideau obituary
''Topeka Capital-Journal'' (September 7–9, 2013).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bideau, Edith 1888 births 1958 deaths American women in World War I American sopranos American women music educators People from Pittsburg, Kansas 20th-century American people