Nelli Gardini
{{short description|American singer and educator (1877–1970)}}
Grace Nelson Stensland, better known as Nellie Gardini or Madame Gardini (1877 - January 8, 1970) was an American singer and educator. She was known for her opera singing and for working as the head of the voice department of the Chicago Musical College.
Biography
Gardini was a distant relative of Edvard Grieg and used a pseudonym throughout her career.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41303425/obituary_for_nelli_gardini_aged_83/|title=Nelli Gardini, Singer, Voice Teacher Dies|date=1970-01-12|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=71|via=Newspapers.com}} She was a native Chicagoan of Norwegian heritage whose real name was Grace Nelson Stensland. Gardini chose an "Italian" name in order to link her singing to opera traditions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41303368/chicago_tribune/|title=Mme. Gardini to be Feted on 76th Birthday|last=Powers|first=Irene|date=1953-10-22|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=40|via=Newspapers.com}} Gardini was a soprano.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41313189/chicago_tribune/|title=Nellie Gardini a soprano who has|date=1919-05-16|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=15|via=Newspapers.com}}
Gardini went to study singing in Paris in 1901.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41312745/chicago_tribune/|title=Miss Grace Nelson of Chicago, who is|date=1901-02-08|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=5|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1903, Gardini married Theodore N. Stensland and they had one son, named after his father. She was divorced in 1909.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41312216/st_louis_postdispatch/|title=Stensland's Son Divorced|date=1909-08-22|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=12|via=Newspapers.com}} She began to sing again under the name of Grace Nelson in 1908.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41312407/truth/|title=Plays and Players|date=1908-05-09|work=Truth|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=17|via=Newspapers.com}} She began to appear in the news as Nelli Gardini as early as 1915.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41313430//|title=Here April 12th|date=1915-04-07|work=Kenosha News|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=4|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1917, she sang with the Boston English Opera Co. where she appeared as Lenora from Il Trovatore.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41303175/the_little_river_monitor/|title=Nelli Gardini|date=1917-02-22|work=The Little River Monitor|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=5|via=Newspapers.com}} She went on to specialize in singing Grieg's music through the 1920s. She became head of the voice department of the Chicago Musical College in the early 1930s.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41304537/the_miami_news/|title=Mme. Nelli Gardini until re-|date=1958-09-07|work=The Miami News|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=35|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41305148/the_miami_news/|title=Springs Club is Tuning Up|date=1959-01-07|work=The Miami News|access-date=2019-12-30|pages=13|via=Newspapers.com}} Some of her students included Carol Fox, Dennis Morgan, and John Carroll.
Gardini died at age 93 on January 8, 1970, in Coral Gables, Florida at the Musicians Club of America.
References
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External links
- [https://explore.chicagocollections.org/ead/roosevelt/84/1v5cj6m/ Archive of correspondence] (Box 28)
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Category:American women educators