Yolanda Mero (aka Jolanda Mero; Hungarian spelling Mérő; later Mero-Irion) (30 August 188717 October 1963) was a Hungarian-American pianist, opera and theatre impresario, and philanthropist who supported destitute musicians.

Pianist

Yolanda Mero was born into a

Jewish family Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

in Budapest to Salamon Mérő and Rozalia (née Pick).Women at the Piano
/ref> She began studying at the age of 8 at the National Conservatory with Augusta Rennebaum, a pupil of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

.Classics Online
She made her debut at age 15 with the Dresden Philharmonic, then toured the world for four years.rgross.musicautograph.com
She moved to the United States in 1900, first appearing in New York in 1909, with the Russian Symphony Orchestra. A week after arriving in New York, she met Hermann Irion, an executive of the Steinway Piano company, and married him only four weeks later, on 16 December 1909. In the US she played concertos under the baton of

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

, Leopold Stokowski and others. She later had a teaching post at her alma mater in Budapest. Her verve and bravura, but also her wayward approach, were noted. In a review of her concert at New York's Aeolian Hall in January 1919, James Huneker wrote that "... she transformed Chopin preludes into veritable typhoons", and "... in the Barcarolle, instead of gondolas and the vows of lovers, moonlight and soft Adriatic zephyrs, we were shown a huge warship that steamed through the Grand Canal, sirens screaming, cannons booming, and a band playing Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt."

Recordings

Yolanda Mero made a number of piano rolls, of music by Bach, Beethoven, Sergei Bortkiewicz, Cécile Chaminade, Debussy, Dohnányi, Grieg,

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

, Haydn, Liszt,

Moszkowski Moszkowski may refer to: * Alexander Moszkowski ( pl, Aleksander Moszkowski; 1851–1934), Jewish Polish-German writer and satirist * Moritz Moszkowski ( pl, Maurycy Moszkowski; 1854–1925), Romantic-era composer and Alexander's brother ** List of ...

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, Anton Rubinstein, Schubert, Sinding,

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

, Tchaikovsky, Max Vogrich and Wagner. She made only one 78rpm recording. Sergei Bortkiewicz dedicated his ''Trois pièces pour piano'', Op. 12, to her. Her recording of Max Vogrich's ''Staccato-Caprice'' appears on the CD ''Women at the Piano: An Anthology of Historic Performances, Vol. 2'' (1926-1950). and on Welte-Mignon Piano Rolls, Vol. 1 (1905-1927) It is said to display her "superb finish, beautiful phrasing and exquisite touch". Her recording of

Carl Heymann Carl Heymann (also Karl; 1853 in Filehne, (or Oct. 4, 1854 in Amsterdam) – 1922 in Bingen), was a virtuoso German pianist, composer and piano teacher. Life Heymann studied at Cologne Conservatory with Ferdinand Hiller and upon his debut ...

's ''Elfenspiel, Etude in E major'' appears on Welte-Mignon Piano Rolls, Vol. 3 (1905-1926). Her playing of

's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 4 is on , and can also be found on CD.

Impresario

Mme Mero-Irion co-founded the New Opera Company, becoming at that time the world's only female impresario. She chose the repertoire, singers, conductors, artistic and stage directors, ballet masters and coaches.Time, 16 November 1942
/ref> She produced '' The Merry Widow'' on Broadway in 1943, with choreography by

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

and starring Jan Kiepura, David Wayne, Robert Rounseville and others, and Marcel Pagnol's play '' Topaze'', starring Tilly Losch, in 1947.

Radio activist

She also became an activist in the cause of improving the quality of the content of radio broadcasts, launching attacks on soap operas and advertising. She was founder and chairman of the Women's National Radio Committee and created the Gold Microphone Award.

Philanthropist

Yolanda Mero-Irion was active in providing support for destitute musicians. She co-founded the Musicians Emergency Fund, along with

Olga Samaroff Olga Samaroff (August 8, 1880May 17, 1948) was an American pianist, music critic, and teacher. Among her teachers was Charles-Valentin Alkan's son, Élie-Miriam Delaborde. Her second husband was the conductor Leopold Stokowski. Samaroff was ...

, Lucrezia Bori and the wives of

Ernest Schelling Ernest Henry Schelling (July 26, 1876 – December 8, 1939) was an American pianist, composer, and conductor, and music director. He was the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 1935 to 1937. Biography He was born in Belvidere, ...

and Ernest Hutcheson and was its executive director. She established an endowment with the Musicians Foundation, Inc. Yolanda Mero-Irion lived with her husband on their estate in Rockland County, NY. She later lived at 983 Park Avenue, New York. She died on 17 October 1963, in Lenox Hill Hospital, aged 76.New York Times, abstract
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mero, Yolanda 1887 births 1963 deaths Musicians from Budapest Hungarian classical pianists Hungarian women pianists American classical pianists American women classical pianists Impresarios Hungarian Jews Jewish American classical musicians American theatre managers and producers Hungarian philanthropists Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States Jewish classical pianists 20th-century American women pianists 20th-century classical pianists 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American philanthropists