The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-28
AMERICAN PRIMA
DONNA WINS FAME
Daughter of Secretary of Agri-
culture Will Sing at Shubert
Theatre Tomorrow.
HAD EUROPEAN TRIUMPH
CONTINENTAL SUCCESS MEANS
OF PRESENT ENGAGEMENT.

In the immediate theatrical horizon
looms Miss Flora Wilson, daughter OF
the secretary OF agriculture, who is
the Shubert attraction at the theatre
Of that name tomorrow night Miss
Wilson is just six months home from
years of musical study in Europe and
is now on her first American tour.
American appreciation of her talents
has been spontaneous, and she goes
TO the Metropolitan opera house in New
York after the Christmas holidays as
a new musical star of the first magni-
tude.
OF graceful. charming appearance
and personality. and with real musical
talent. Miss Wilson has been received
with enthusiasm all over the country.
Local society is making much ado over
her visit and the little old Lyric thea
ire, now the Shubert house, will likely
contain the most fastidious society au-
dience in all its history tomOrrow
night
Four Years Abroad.
Miss Wilson was four years abroad
When an American girl goes to Europe
10 study she must sing in three
languages. Italian, German and
plished to a degree SURPRISING that of
many more widely renowned prima
donnas. She has studied in Paris,
Vienna and Berlin, and has appeared
in numerous European concerts, re-
ceiving favorable comment from the
leaders of musical appreciation in the
ola world.
Her first ambition for a musical ca
reer was inspired when a young girl.
She studied music in Chicago and then
announced her desire to go to Europe.
She had become, d, -devotee of art for
arts sake, and music was the high
EfnC Of fBo ia oh, he
aspired Her father encouraged her
idea to go abroad and receive instruc-
lions from such masters as Jean de
Reszke, the Polish vocalist, and NJ
GeoFris OF the Opera EomiqUe. She
was installed in a studio that had once
been James WhistleF's. In due time
she gave concerts and filled salon en-
gagements in London, Lucerne, Paris
and Vienna. Before coming home she
went to Scotland to visit her fathers
uncle, Sir Andrew Lusk, at one time
lord mayor of London. At Edinburg
she was made much of, and for some
time gave nightly society reeitals at
Skibo castle, the home of Andrew Car
negie and family.
Miss Wilson reached America in
April, 1903, and began at once her
triumphant tour. When she made her
New York deOut last April the high
est society of that metropolis and
Washington paid her homage. The
musical critics received her Well-sO
her present tour, which win close at
the first of the year, she signed a con-
tract with the Metropolitan Opera COM
pany for a winter engagement in New
York after the holidays.
Loyal to Native Land.
Miss Wilson is a loyal American
and a believer in American institu-
lions. despite her many years in Eu-
rope and the homage paid her there.
She thinks appreciation of the higher
order of music In America is superior
to that of Europe.
"They deal too much in technicali-
ties over there" she says. "The mis-
a German consonant over there may
mean the downfall of a rising singer. |
so petty are the critics Their appre-
citation of music is somewhat super
of the American for the beautiful in
harmony and sound Also the Ameri-
can will excuse minor petty defects if !
the whole is good, while the European
critic condemns the whole because of /
the petty defects.
You may not know it, hut Euro |
pean managers seek American proteges
Tor continental tours even more than |
tho American manager caters to the
European song birds. America has
ceased to be land of the crude in |
art. The number of ones American !
concerts is the highest recommendation
a returned European singer can offer |
TO the managers. And the first ambi- |
tion of the newly risen star in the old |
world is to come to America to gain |
fame"
Miss Wilson is a soprano singer. |
At her concert tomorrow night she |
will sing a number OF the French love |
songs as Well as selections from the |
classics. She combines histrionic abil-
ity with her gift of song. a factor |
which adds greatly TO her performance. |