Wilma Neruda

Wilma Neruda, Lady Hallé, originally "Wilhelmine Maria Franziska Neruda" (March 21, 1838 in Brno Moravia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – April 15, 1911 in Berlin, Germany) was a Moravian violinist. She came from a family long famous for musical talent.At those times the violin was not considered a proper instrument for a woman. Her father, Josef Neruda (1807-1875) the organist of the cathedral of Brno, introduced her to playing the piano but Wilhelmine was caught secretly playing her brothers violin, which she preferred, and finally allowed to play it.

The family moved to Vienna, where she studied with Professor Leopold Jansa (1795-1875). She made her first public appearance as a violinist in Vienna at the age of seven, playing one of Bach's Violin Sonatas.

She married the Swedish musician Ludvig Norman (1831-1885) in Stockholm in 1864 and had a son, Ludwig Norman Neruda who became a famous alpinist. Four years later she moved to London with her son. After Norman died in 1885, she married the German-English musician Charles Hallé in 1888. When he was knighted later the same year, she became Lady Hallé. Given a Palazzo in Asolo, Italy, after her husband's death, she moved there to live with her son Ludwig who died in 1898 climbing in the Dolomites. After her son's death she moved to Berlin.

James Scott Skinner wrote a tune titled "Madame Neruda" in her honor, Henri Vieuxtemps and Niels Gade devoted musical pieces to her. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of Holmes and Watson attending one of her concerts. [http://www.geocities.com/acmosh/politician.html]

External links

* [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D02EED81539E433A25754C1A9629C946196D6CF&oref=slogin New York Times reports her 71st birthday, Sunday, April 17, 1910]

* [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9E00E3DB1438E433A2575AC0A9669D94699ED7CF&oref=slogin New York Times, October 9,1898 reports on death of Wilma Neruda's son. ]
* [http://grandemusica.net/famous-violinists-day-and-yesterday-henry-c-lahee/chapter-x-women-violinists.html biographical notes]