page_title: Teresa and Maria Milanollo
section_title: Teresa Milanollo's subsequent solo career
hierarchical_section_title: Teresa and Maria Milanollo / Biography of the Milanollo sisters / Teresa Milanollo's subsequent solo career
caption_attribution_description: English: Italian violinist and composer Teresa Milanollo (1827-1904) photographed by Disdéri (1819-1889).
context_page_description: Teresa and her younger sister Maria Milanollo, were Italian violin-playing child prodigies who toured Europe extensively to great acclaim in the 1840s. After Maria died at age 16, Teresa, who was also a composer, had a long solo career. The name "Milanollo" has been perpetuated by the regimental march of the Life Guards, Coldstream Guards and Governor General's Foot Guards, written in their honour by their contemporary J.V. Hamm. The Teatro Milanollo in their native Savigliano was named for the sisters.
  Taught violin in infancy by Ferrero, Caldera, and Morra, Teresa made her concert debut in her native Savigliano aged nine. In 1836 she moved to Paris with her family. She toured Britain, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, sometimes with her virtuoso tutors, Lafont, subsequently Habeneck and later still, de Bériot. She eventually became her sister Maria's first and only violin coach. From 1838 to 1848 the Milanollo sisters toured throughout France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and England, charming royal courts and such composers as Johann Strauss the Elder, Berlioz, Liszt, Chopin and Meyerbeer.
context_section_description: After a period of mourning for Maria, during the next few years Teresa played only for charity. She established a series of concerts known as the "Concerts aux Pauvres". This was carried out 
  in nearly all the chief cities of France. Part of the receipts of these concerts was used for the benefit of the poor. Her plan was to follow up the first concert with a second, at which the audience consisted of poor school-children and their parents, to whom she played in her most fascinating manner, and, at the conclusion of her performance, money, food, and clothing, purchased with the receipts of the previous concerts, were distributed.
  In 1852 she resumed touring in France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Apparently her "improved performance" excited even more interest than before, and from 1853-6 she was in the "zenith of her powers". Once, her skirt caught fire when she walked too close to the footlights during a concert in Aix-la-Chapelle. She calmly set down her violin, extinguished the flames, and continued performing.
caption: Violinist and composer Teresa Milanollo in 1862
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