The Denver Jewish news., 1923-01-03

II Artists sometimes, but not often
pnusn in mid-career and ask them
selves whether they are on tho
right road. Then. if they are moi
satisfied, they retire and make right
what is wrong. This, however, is the
attitude of maturity. and fn: child
TO take such n course argues an IN
sight and Il surety OF purpose as un
usual as it is admirable. Yet this
Is what Nedelka Simeonova. the young
bulgarian violinist. did sevral years
ngo
Miss Simeonova was norm at Has
kovo in South Bulgaria in 1909, ana
having practically supported herself
since she was twelve. she already has
n career behind he: as well as In
front Of her.
II alwaya wanted to study music"
said Miss Simeonova. but my father
wouldn't hear of it. He was n violin
ist In the Kings Orchestra at Sofia.
and wasn't particularly interested in
having another musician in the family.
Then. TO- he said that women didn't
amount To much in artistic careers. and
that their place was in the home. Ycl
know the sort of thing
"Onc dag he caught me picking out
on his violin the little songs l had
learned nj school and gave me n good
scolding, besides threatening 10 give
me still worse if | ever touched his
;,,' Go I ,rahalstN sbnnlln' 4
have had the chance to study if an
accident hadn't occurred. At re-
henrsal of the Kings Orchestra. an
other member of the orchestra fell over
my fathers violin case and smashed it
TO flinders. Fortunately the violin
wasn't in it. but the case was destroy
cd. and the man. who was not well
OF. said he couldn't afford to pay for
| It. but that he would give my father
small sized violin that he had. OF
he gave it to me.
FRS, Concert
"Oh! How delighted was with that
little fiddle My father started giving
me lessons. and one week from the day
| got the instrument | was asked to
play at n school concert. SO l played
Schumnnn's 'Traumerei at my very
fist public appearance When | got
home | told my mother that | was
going TO give all my time to work. And
really did. and practised all III.
time nearly when / was not in school
and p,aycd mt concerts and even foi
the Queen.
When | was ten. n bulgarian gen
tlcmnn living in Boston. who was in
terested in raising money for victims
Of the Balkan war. thought | would
he money-maker for the cause, so
came to America and gave concerts
i'm and around Boston and really did
earn n lot for those poor people. Kreis-
lerf heard me play and Isaye, and
were good enough TO say that they
thought | had big possibilities. 50
wealthy people in Boston subscribed
money for me to go TO Aucr. who was
then in Dresden. l had been with Auer
only n short time when war broke out
and he had, to leave Germany. And
what was worse. | couldn't get any
money from America. so there ! was !.
I don't know what Id have done ex-
cept for another rich Bulgarian. who
took me into his home. where he and
his wife treated me like n daughter
and gave me every possible advantage
of education.
Il had lessons with a pupil of
Joachim. but had to undo everything
had learned. which was hard. / got
along. and, when the war was over |
played with o-chestras in Dresden and
Prague and then Went bacv to Sofia,
and, after six years absence. played
with the Kings Orchestra. of which
my father was $ i'll member. !
chose the Brahms Concerto. which had
never been played there before, and
| can tell you that orchestra had Il
hard time learning it. Then I was
sent back to Prague as representative
of Bulgaria to play at the Slavic Fes-
tival there.
Retires for More Study
About that time | began 10 wonder
whether | was doing things right or
not. 1t was very nice to have all the
applause and the flowers and nice
newspaper notices, but during those
years in Germany | had had no chance
to hca- any of the great violinists
and so | had no one to compare my
self with. Finally | decided to come
back to America for more study Will
Auer because | was sure that | need
cd lessons. My mother came with me
and for a wear and Il half | worked
with Auer and practised ON an aver
age of ten hours day. | had lot'
of chances to go on tour in concert
hnt rnfIlsnd them and il wnsn'