Alice Eversman (September 4, 1885 — February 1, 1974) was an American operatic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

and voice teacher, and later a music critic for over twenty years.

Early life

Alice Mary Eversman was born in

Effingham, Illinois Effingham is a city in Effingham County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is in South Central Illinois. Its population was 12,252 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Effingham micropolitan statistical area. The ...

and raised in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, the daughter of John Eversman Sr. and Frances Caroline Gibbons Eversman. Encouraged by organist John W. Bischoff, she studied music at the Peabody Conservatory in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, and in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

, Germany.Alfred Victor Frankenstein, Sigmund Gottfried Spaeth, John Townsend Hinton Mize, ''The International Who is Who in Music'' (Who is Who in Music, Incorporated, Limited, 1951): 169.

Career

Eversman sang soprano with the

Chicago Grand Opera Company Two grand opera companies in Chicago, Illinois, have gone by the name Chicago Grand Opera Company during the first half of the 20th century. Like many opera ventures in Chicago, both succumbed to financial difficulties within a few years, and ...

. With them, she appeared in a New Year's Day show at the county jail, and "brought tears to the eyes of many prisoners" with her songs. She was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company for the 1916-1917 season. She was a fortunate understudy on at least two occasions: once in 1912, when

Carmen Melis Carmen Melis (15 August 1885 – 19 December 1967) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the first four decades of the 20th century. She was known, above all, as a verismo soprano, and was one of the most int ...

failed to appear for her starring role in ''Aida'', and again as Aida in 1915, when Ester Adaberto was called to Italy on a family emergency. She starred in ''Aida'' again in 1917, in a stadium performance to benefit the Civilian Relief Committee during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. She also gave recitals on the

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

circuit, with violinist Elena de Sayn. Eversman wrote music criticism for ''

The Washington Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the ''Washington'' ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday ...

'' newspaper from 1932 to 1953. She was also a music critic for the Paris edition of the ''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...

''. In her work as a critic, she reviewed the president's daughter,

Margaret Truman Mary Margaret Truman Daniel (February 17, 1924 – January 29, 2008) was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman a ...

, on her singing tour in 1949, and described a 1933 recital at a church auditorium by

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...

, lamenting that "her extraordinary singing was enjoyed only by a small audience." She also reviewed the 1943 production of '' La Traviata'' by the

National Negro Opera Company The National Negro Opera Company (1941–1962) was the most successful African-American opera company in the United States. Although often mistakenly called the first due to its enormous successes, other African American opera companies (such as t ...

, with particular praise for

Lillian Evanti Lillian Evanti (August 12, 1890 – December 6, 1967) was an American soprano, composer, and civil rights advocate who broke racial barriers in classical music. Excluded from opportunities in the racially segregated American opera scene, Evanti wa ...

. She was president of the American Newspaper Women's Club three times, and a member of the Women's National Press Club.

Personal life

Eversman died from a stroke in 1974, aged 88 years, in

Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146. Fairfax is pa ...

. In 2012 her cousin Mary Ellen Eversman published a biography, ''Alice Eversman: Dramatic Opera Soprano'', and gave lectures on the subject.Bill Grimes
"Local Woman Portrays Late Relative's History in Opera"
''Effingham Daily News'' (July 22, 2014).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eversman, Alice 1885 births 1974 deaths American operatic sopranos American music critics American women music critics