Elyda Russell Barker (5 September 1872 – 17 June 1949), born Eliza Alison Russell, was an Australian mezzo-soprano singer based in Paris and London for much of her career. She was a student of

Mathilde Marchesi Mathilde Marchesi (née Graumann; 24 March 1821 – 17 November 1913) was a German mezzo-soprano, a singing teacher, and a proponent of the bel canto vocal method. Biography Marchesi was born in Frankfurt. Her father's last name was Graumann ...

Early life and education

Russell was born in Sydney, New South Wales, the daughter of George Russell and Ellen Alison Russell. Her father co-owned an engineering firm with his brother,

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...

benefactor

Peter Nicol Russell Sir Peter Nicol Russell (4 July 1816 – 10 July 1905), commonly referred to as P. N. Russell, was an Australian foundry owner, manufacturing engineer, and benefactor of the University of Sydney. Russell worked at iron foundries owned by his fa ...

. She played piano, and studied violin in Dresden in her youth, before training as a singer in Italy, and with Mathilde Marchesi in Paris."Paris"
''The Musical Courier'' (September 15, 1908): 16. She was considered a "favorite pupil" of Marchesi's, and was one of the "principal mourners" at Marchesi's funeral.

Career

Russell sang in many European cities, and for royal audiences. She made her London debut recital at

Bechstein Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

in 1903, prompting the Sydney Morning Herald to report that "It is a long time since any debutante has received such unanimously favourable notices from the London dailies." She sang again at Bechstein Hall in 1906, and she performed at

The Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert H ...

in London in 1908. "Miss Russell's voice is a full mezzo soprano," noted a 1906 report, "and she sings in many languages."

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

heard her sing in Paris in 1904. She toured in Scandinavia in 1908, and sang five concerts in Berlin. Her friend, Swedish sculptor

Ida Matton Ida Elisabeth Matton (1863–1940), was a Swedish sculptor. Biography Matton was born on 24 February 1863 in Gävle. She studied at Kungliga Tekniska högskolan in Stockholm She subsequently traveled to Paris to continue her studies. There she a ...

, made a portrait bust of Russell, now in the collection of the Länsmuseet Gävleborg.

Personal life

Russell traveled in Italy with Ida Matton in 1904. She married Harold E. W. Barker in 1919. She died in 1949, aged 76 years, in

Perth Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...

. Her grave is in

Karrakatta Cemetery Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, the first being that of wheelwright Robert Creighton. Managed by the Metropolitan Ce ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Elyda 1872 births 1949 deaths Musicians from Sydney Australian singers Burials at Karrakatta Cemetery