Ninon Romaine

Ninon Romaine
A white woman with her hair in an updo, photographed in profile
Ninon Romaine, from a 1923 publication
Born
Ninon Romaine Curry

(1883-03-17)March 17, 1883
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMay 2, 1930(1930-05-02) (aged 47)
Srinagar, India
Other namesNinon Romaine Zimmerman
OccupationPianist

Ninon Romaine Curry Zimmerman (March 17, 1883 – May 2, 1930) was an American concert pianist active in the 1920s.

Early life and education

Romaine was born in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of John Henry Curry and Mary N. Janes Curry. Her father was a physician.[1] She studied and performed in Germany and Russia during her youth.[2][3] She played at Pratt Institute in New York in 1903.[4] She studied with Robert Teichmüller in Leipzig, and had her Berlin debut in 1907.[5]

Career

Romaine was a concert pianist.[6][7][8] Before World War I, she was the guest of Count Zeppelin in a trip by zeppelin airship,[9] and received jewelry gifts from Czar Nicholas and Kaiser Wilhelm.[10] She entertained wounded men at hospitals in Europe during World War I.[11]

In 1920 she was a soloist with the Detroit Symphony,[12] and she gave a recital at New York's Aeolian Hall.[13] She toured in the United States in 1923,[6][14] and played in Europe in 1924 and 1925.[15][16][17] She played at a benefit concert in 1928 with baritone Lawrence Tibbett and violinist Carolyn Le Fevre.[18] "She brings bravura tone of such astounding volume and beauty, and again glissandi of such deft and thistledown like softness," according to a 1928 report that also mentioned her "titanic strength and gentle tenderness."[2]

Romaine joined the faculty of the American College of Music in Toledo in 1922.[19] She sat for portraits by several artists,[20][21] including Xander Warshawsky[22] and Richard Jack.[23][24] English composer Eugene Goossens dedicated a piano composition to Romaine.[25]

Publications

Personal life

Romaine married a German baron, manufacturer Eugene Ludwig Zimmerman, in 1910. They separated by 1921,[27] but she was described as his widow[28] when she died from smallpox in Srinagar, India, in 1930, at the age of 47.[29][30]

References

  1. ^ "Dr. John Curry Dead". Musical Courier. 90 (4): 29. 1925-01-22 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b "Rare Treat Offered by Romaine Recital". Mount Carmel Item. 1928-05-10. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Ninon Romaine Abroad" The Musical Courier (June 10, 1908): 16.
  4. ^ "A New Pianist's Debut". Brooklyn Eagle. 1903-12-02. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Late Berlin News". Musical Courier. 55 (21): 25 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ^ a b Crain, Hal (1923-12-15). "Shorter Programs Would Arouse More Interest, Declares Ninon Romaine". Musical America. 39 (8): 15 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ "Success Assured for Ninon Romaine". Musical Courier. 86 (17): 19. 1923-04-26 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ "Small Crowd Hears Ninon Romaine in Wonderful Concert". The Daily News. 1928-05-11. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Campbell, Lilian (1929-10-21). "One of the First". Record-Journal. p. 6. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Toledo Pianist". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1930-06-17. p. 24. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Career Means Sacrifice, Says This Titled Pianiste". The Toronto Star. 1923-11-14. p. 22. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Orchestra, Detroit Symphony (1921). Program. p. 892.
  13. ^ "Ninon Romaine's Piano Recital". The New York Times. 1920-10-30. p. 16. Archived from the original on 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  14. ^ "Ninon Romaine to Play in America Next Fall, After Concerts Abroad". Musical America. 38 (7): 9. 1923-06-09 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ "Abroad" Musical News and Herald (March 28, 1925): 311.
  16. ^ Lucas, Clarence (1925-04-09). "Ninon Romaine Enroute to U.S.A." Musical Courier. 90 (15): 6 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ "Ninon Romaine Takes Six Weeks' Holiday". Musical Courier. 89 (12): 10. 1924-09-18 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ "Tibbett in Benefit Concert" The Musical Leader (November 29, 1928): 9.
  19. ^ "New Home of American College of Music". The Musical Observer. 21 (1): 66. January 1922.
  20. ^ "'Artist Face' Girl Arrives; Baroness Minon Romaine, Here from Paris, Creates Stir on 'Walk". Press of Atlantic City. 1926-09-25. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Ascunce, Raul R. (2024-05-08). "A special portrait of Mother's Day". Sentinel Tribune. pp. a3. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Cleveland". The Art News. 23 (13): 8. 1925-01-03 – via Internet Archive.
  23. ^ "Romaine". Musical America. 46 (3): 20. 1927-05-07 – via Internet Archive.
  24. ^ "Ninon Romaine Plays in Amsterdam in Spite of Mishap on Trip by Air". Musical America. 38 (11): 27. 1923-07-07 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ "Goossens Dedicating Opus to Mme. Romaine". Musical Courier. 87 (1): 31. 1923-07-05 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ Romaine, Ninon (1924-03-06). "A Sermon on Sympathy". Musical Courier. 88 (10): 7 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ^ "Husband Pro-German, She Wants a Divorce". News Journal. 1921-05-12. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Toledo". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 1930-12-09. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "The Late Ninon Romaine". Saturday Night. 45 (36): 14. 1930-07-19 – via Internet Archive.
  30. ^ "Obituary". Variety. 99 (11): 258. 1930-06-25 – via Internet Archive.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.