Frida Katherina Benneche (June 10, 1880 – after 1943), sometimes written as Frida Bennèche or Freda Benneche, also known as Frida Windolph, was an American coloratura soprano.

Early life

Benneche was born in New York City. Her mother was Magdalena Goelz Benneche. Her German-born father Edward Benneche was a businessman, and was president of the

Arion Society The Arion Society was a German-American musical society. It was founded in January 1854 to promote "the perpetuation of love for some of the characteristic elements of German civilization". It was disbanded because of Anti-German sentiment following ...

, a German-American musical club in New York. She attended Miss Jaudon's School, studied violin and piano as a young woman, trained with Eugenie Pappenheim in New York, and studied voice with Theresa Seehofer in Berlin.

Career

As Frida Windolph, she sang at musicales hosted by Pappenheim, and made some recordings for Phono-Cut Records early in her career. Benneche, a coloratura soprano, sang in concerts and church festivals in Europe, including at the Hamburg Summer Opera. She moved back to the United States in 1914. She toured in the United States, and made recordings of German-language songs on the

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label in 1916 and 1917. "Her records are said to be some of the finest made," reported the ''

Musical Courier The ''Musical Courier'' was a weekly 19th- and 20th-century American music trade magazine that began publication in 1880. The publication included editorials, obituaries, announcements, scholarly articles and investigatory writing about musical ...

'' in 1917, adding that "her voice is sweet without the least trace of shrillness." Flautist Paul Henneberg composed two works for Benneche. She sang at Fourth of July festivities in

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in 1918, and gave two radio concerts in 1924. She toured in Germany in 1926. In 1943 and 1944, she was a voice teacher in New York City.

Personal life

Frida Benneche married architect August Paul Windolph in 1901; they divorced after 1910. She married metallurgist Erich Alfred Beck in 1919.

References

External links

* '' Drei Roslein'' (Three Roses) (Victor 69138-B); a 1916 recording made by Benneche, on Internet Archive * '' An den Mond'' (To the Moon) (Victor 69138-A), a 1916 recording made by Benneche, on Internet Archive * ''Treue Liebe'' (True Love) (Victor 67985-B), a 1916 recording made by Benneche, on Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Benneche, Frida 1880 births 20th-century deaths Year of death unknown American sopranos American people of German descent