Prudence Neff
{{Short description|American musician (1887–1949)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Prudence Neff
| image = PrudenceNeff1915b.png
| alt = A young white woman seated on a piano bench, wearing a headband with a white lacy ruffleand a long light-colored lace gown with loosely draped short sleeves
| caption = Prudence Neff, from a 1915 publication
| other_names = Prudence Dolejsi, Prudence Neff Thomas
| birth_name =
| birth_date = June 9, 1887
| birth_place = Nebraska City, Nebraska
| death_date = December 23, 1949 (aged 62)
| death_place = Chicago, Illinois
| occupation = Music teacher, pianist
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| spouse(s) =
| relatives =
}}
Prudence Maria Neff (June 9, 1887 – December 23, 1949) was an American pianist and music teacher, based in Alabama as a young woman, and in Chicago for the rest of her career.
Early life
Prudence Neff was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska, and raised in Chicago, the daughter of Anton Neff and Theresa Meyer Neff. Her father, who worked for the railroad, was born in Switzerland.{{Cite news |date=1928-09-26 |title=Former Resident Dies in Chicago |pages=2 |work=Nebraska Daily News-Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104070094/former-resident-dies-in-chicago/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} At the Chicago Musical College, she studied piano with Glenn Dillard Gunn, and music theory with Adolphe Brune and Felix Borowski.{{Cite news |date=1907-09-26 |title=A Musical Treat |pages=8 |work=The Weekly Wymorean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104093819/a-musical-treat/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} Her "All-American" education was a selling point for Neff as a performer during the 1910s.{{Cite news |date=1915-09-15 |title=An All-American Concert Plan of Muskogee Clubs |pages=5 |work=Muskogee Times-Democrat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104094415/an-all-american-concert-plan-of/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Career
Neff was a concert pianist who toured the United States with Hugo Heermann and Maggie Teyte.{{Cite journal |date=June 1915 |title=Miss Prudence Neff, Birmingham, Alabama |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-QAtAAAAYAAJ&dq=Prudence+Neff+Chicago&pg=PA424 |journal=The Musical Monitor |volume=4 |pages=424}}{{Cite news |date=1915-05-27 |title=Benefit Recital for Miss Prudence Neff |pages=6 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104093357/benefit-recital-for-miss-prudence-neff/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} She taught piano at Englewood Musical College in Chicago as a young woman, and at the Southern School of Musical Art in Birmingham, Alabama.{{Cite journal |last=A.H.C. |date=May 15, 1915 |title=Birmingham Girl Winner of Piano Contest in South |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mkc0AQAAMAAJ&dq=Musical%20America&pg=RA1-PA23 |journal=Musical America |volume=22 |pages=33}}{{Cite news |date=1915-04-24 |title=Prudence Neff Wins in Contest; Birmingham Woman Will Represent South in Los Angeles This Summer |pages=5 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104093578/prudence-neff-wins-in-contest/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1914, she gave the first performance of Felix Borowski's Piano Concerto in D Minor, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.{{Cite web |title=Piano Concerto in D minor (Borowski, Felix) |url=https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_in_D_minor_(Borowski,_Felix) |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=IMSLP: Petrucci Music Library}}Chicago Symphony Orchestra, [https://cso.org/media/kviflq1h/world-premieres.pdf World Premieres].{{Cite book |last=Phemister |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hdxfDwAAQBAJ&dq=Prudence+Neff+Chicago&pg=PA34 |title=The American Piano Concerto Compendium |date=2018-06-20 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-1234-2 |pages=34 |language=en}} She also played with the Russian Symphony Orchestra of New York.{{Cite book |last=Mu Phi Epsilon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3PASAAAAIAAJ&dq=Prudence+Neff+Chicago&pg=RA6-PA36-IA4 |title=Year Book |date=1906 |pages=28 |language=en}} In 1915, she won a Southern regional piano contest, held by the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) in Memphis. She represented the Birmingham Music Study Club at the NFMC national meeting in Los Angeles in 1915.{{Cite book |last1=Alabama Federation of Music Clubs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g0BLAAAAYAAJ&dq=Prudence+Neff&pg=PA83 |title=Musical Alabama |last2=Thomas |first2=Margaret Flor |date=1925 |publisher=Paragon Press |pages=83 |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=1915-06-05 |title=Miss Neff is Heard by Enthusiastic Audience |pages=3 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104092645/miss-neff-is-heard-by-enthusiastic/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} "Prudence Neff has within a few years attained a degree of success rarely reached by the young aspirant to musical honors," said The Musical Monitor. She chaired the program committee of the NFMC in 1917, when its national biennial meeting was held in Birmingham.{{Cite news |date=1917-04-01 |title=Plans Charming Programs |pages=30 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104094585/plans-charming-programs/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Lackey |first=Orlean |date=1950-07-30 |title=Music Club pioneers braved many obstacles |pages=75 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104095150/music-club-pioneers-braved-many/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} Also in 1917, she gave concerts on the lyceum circuit with her violinist husband.{{Cite news |date=1917-11-08 |title=Famous Musicians; Dolejsi and Neff to Play Here on Dec. 1st |pages=1 |work=Moundridge Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104105320/famous-musicians-dolejsi-and-neff-to/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}
After her first marriage ended, she moved back to Chicago, and taught piano there at the Glenn Dillard Gunn School of Music.{{Cite journal |date=July 6, 1922 |title=Chicago to Have a New Music School |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3m6Bq_7vOWMC&dq=Prudence+Neff+Chicago&pg=PA44 |journal=Musical Courier |volume=85 |pages=44}}{{Cite news |date=1928-01-31 |title=Sisters Both in Musical Positions |pages=1 |work=Nebraska Daily News-Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104106108/sisters-both-in-musical-positions/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} She appeared on vaudeville programs in 1919.{{Cite news |date=1919-03-23 |title=Interesting Programs at the Theaters Offered This Week |pages=52 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104092860/interesting-programs-at-the-theaters/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} She continued performing through the 1920s and 1930s,{{Cite news |date=1930-05-15 |title=Rare Musical Treat Coming |pages=5 |work=The Lemont Optimist-News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104107517/rare-musical-treat-coming/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} often as an accompanist;{{Cite news |date=1935-04-11 |title=Boy Violinist Will Give Program Tonight |pages=12 |work=The Decatur Daily Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104105702/boy-violinist-will-give-program-tonight/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1937-08-19 |title=Searsport People See Musical Revue |pages=22 |work=The Bangor Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104105937/searsport-people-see-musical-revue/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} she also made piano roll recordings, and gave concerts for radio.{{Cite news |date=1924-05-22 |title=Today's Radio Programs |pages=10 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104105547/todays-radio-programs/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} In 1933 she directed a choir of 30 voices in Palos Park.{{Cite news |date=1933-09-22 |title=Sacred Heart Church, Palos 60 Years Old |pages=1 |work=The Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104095463/sacred-heart-church-palos-60-years-old/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Personal life
In 1915, Neff married a fellow music teacher, Chicago-born Bohemian violinist Robert Dolejsi.{{Cite news |date=1915-11-21 |title=Dolejsi-Neff |pages=21 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104070352/dolejsi-neff/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1915-10-08 |title=Lyceum Attractions |pages=3 |work=The Lake Geneva Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104108876/lyceum-attractions/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} They sometimes performed together in concerts.{{Cite news |date=1917-04-18 |title=Birmingham Hears Mrs. Vann |pages=4 |work=Huntsville Weekly Democrat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104093657/birmingham-hears-mrs-vann/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=1916-02-11 |title=Church's Fund is Increased by Dolejsi Concert |pages=5 |work=The Birmingham News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104094845/churchs-fund-is-increased-by-dolejsi/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} After they divorced, she married Wade H. Thomas; he died in 1933. She died in 1949, in Chicago, at the age of 62.[http://www.pianola.co.nz/public/index.php/web/qrs#Prudence_Neff Prudence Neff], Pianola: Saving the Music of Yesterday{{Cite news |date=1949-12-26 |title=Prudence Neff Thomas (funeral listing) |pages=42 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104095332/prudence-neff-thomas-funeral-listing/ |access-date=2022-06-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}
References
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Category:People from Nebraska City, Nebraska