Lillian June Henschel (born Lillian June Bailey) (January 17, 1860 - November 4, 1901) was an American soprano. Lillian Bailey was born in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

on 17th January 1860 and was said to have demonstrated musical talent from an early age. She took piano lessons from the age of seven and had vocal training from her mother who was also a trained singer. When she was 15, the family moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and she continued her studies under her uncle, Charles Hayden, a well-known vocal teacher and later she became a pupil of Madame Rudersdorf, with whom she studied two years. At sixteen, Bailey made her professional debut in Boston at one of B. J. Lang's concerts, meeting with great success. After this she became a favorite singer in Boston, and her services were in constant demand during the concert season. She then traveled to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, in 1887 where she studied with

Pauline Viardot-Garcia Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García, her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Paul ...

. On April 30, 1879, she was among the performers in an orchestral concert in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, singing a solo number and a duet with

George Henschel Sir Isidor George Henschel (18 February 185010 September 1934) was a German-born British baritone, pianist, conductor, and composer. His first wife Lillian was also a singer. He was the first conductor of both the Boston Symphony Orchestra ...

; he became her teacher, and married her on March 9, 1881. Upon his appointment as conductor of the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

, she joined him, performing at orchestra concerts and as a solo recitalist with her husband as accompanist. She died in London.

References

1860 births 1901 deaths American operatic sopranos 19th-century American women opera singers Musicians from Columbus, Ohio Singers from Ohio Classical musicians from Ohio {{US-opera-singer-stub