Lillian Blauvelt papers

Lillian Blauvelt (1873-1947) was born in Brooklyn, NY. A trained violinist, she made her musical debut at New York’s Steinway Hall at eight years old. She went on to study voice at the National Conservatory of Music and with Jacques Bouhy, before performing in her first opera at 16, in Brussels. Blauvelt became an international opera star, performing around the world, to kings and queens, and receiving a host of accolades, including the decoration of the Order of Saint Cecilia in 1901 from the oldest musical society in the world. In 1905, after years as a grand opera singer, Blauvelt signed a six-year contract to appear in comic operas. In the decades following, she performed in a variety of operas and concerts and taught voice.

Lillian Blauvelt was married multiple times, including to: Royal S. Smith, a Brooklyn organist; William F. Pendleton; and, in 1914, composer Alexander Savine.

Collection donor and great-grandniece, Debra-Jo Middleswart, notes that Blauvelt had a summer home on St. George's Lake in Liberty, Me., where she would practice singing over the water. She performed in Maine for benefits such as the Bangor Auditorium, and in Bar Harbor and Portland.