Queena Marian Tillotson (August 21, 1896 – May 28, 1951), known professionally as Queena Mario, was an American soprano opera singer, newspaper columnist, voice teacher, and fiction writer.
Queena Mario
Mario in 1921
Background information
Birth name
Queena Marian Tillotson
Born
(1896-08-21)August 21, 1896 Akron, Ohio, United States
Died
May 28, 1951(1951-05-28) (aged 54) New York, United States
Queena Marian Tillotson was born in Akron, Ohio,[1] the daughter of James Knox Tillotson and Rose Tillotson. Queena was raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, where she graduated from Plainfield High School.[2][3] She studied voice with Marcella Sembrich,[4] who advised her name change.[5] She paid for voice lessons by writing newspaper advice columns under the name Florence Bryant, including childrearing advice; "You know a lot when you're 16, you have a lot of theories," she explained of her qualifications.[1]
Careeredit
Mario made her stage debut with the San Carlo Opera Company in 1918.[6] She also toured with the Antonio Scotti Opera Company. She sang at the Metropolitan Opera over 300 times, beginning in 1922 and with a last performance in 1938.[7] She also gave concerts.[3] In 1925 Richard Aldrich of The New York Times described Mario's voice: "The voice is light, it has the grace and flexibility of a light voice, together with agreeable quality and much finished skill in vocalism."[8][9]
As a writer, Mario published three opera-themed murder mysteries: Murder in the Opera House (E.P. Dutton, 1934), Murder Meets Mephisto (1942), and Death Drops Delilah (1944).[14]
Personal lifeedit
Mario married Metropolitan Opera conductor Wilfred Pelletier on November 23, 1925; they divorced on August 12, 1936.[15] She died in New York in 1951, aged 54 years.[16][17]
^Staff. "Queena Mario Sings to Students", The New York Times, May 26, 1927. Accessed November 9, 2017. "Queena Mario of the Metropolitan Opera Company, formerly of this city, was a guest of the Plainfield High School today where she sang a group of four numbers to the student body ... The opera star whose family name was Tillotson is a graduate of the local high school and has been a guest of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Coddington of Sheridan Avenue."
^ ab"Queena Mario Gives Concert Here Tomorrow" Courier-News (March 2, 1932): 6. via Newspapers.com
^Frank D. Quattrone, Penn State Abington and the Ogontz School (Arcadia Publishing 2016): 77. ISBN9781439657775
^"Queena Mario To Be Guest Artist Monday" Star Tribune (April 5, 1931): 16. via Newspapers.com
^"Queena Mario Proves a Human Nightingale" Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (April 22, 1919): 10. via Newspapers.com
queena, mario, queena, marian, tillotson, august, 1896, 1951, known, professionally, american, soprano, opera, singer, newspaper, columnist, voice, teacher, fiction, writer, mario, 1921background, informationbirth, namequeena, marian, tillotsonborn, 1896, augu. Queena Marian Tillotson August 21 1896 May 28 1951 known professionally as Queena Mario was an American soprano opera singer newspaper columnist voice teacher and fiction writer Queena MarioMario in 1921Background informationBirth nameQueena Marian TillotsonBorn 1896 08 21 August 21 1896Akron Ohio United StatesDiedMay 28 1951 1951 05 28 aged 54 New York United StatesGenresOperaOccupation s Soprano columnist voice teacher authorYears active1918 1951 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editQueena Marian Tillotson was born in Akron Ohio 1 the daughter of James Knox Tillotson and Rose Tillotson Queena was raised in Plainfield New Jersey where she graduated from Plainfield High School 2 3 She studied voice with Marcella Sembrich 4 who advised her name change 5 She paid for voice lessons by writing newspaper advice columns under the name Florence Bryant including childrearing advice You know a lot when you re 16 you have a lot of theories she explained of her qualifications 1 Career editMario made her stage debut with the San Carlo Opera Company in 1918 6 She also toured with the Antonio Scotti Opera Company She sang at the Metropolitan Opera over 300 times beginning in 1922 and with a last performance in 1938 7 She also gave concerts 3 In 1925 Richard Aldrich of The New York Times described Mario s voice The voice is light it has the grace and flexibility of a light voice together with agreeable quality and much finished skill in vocalism 8 9 Mario taught voice at the Juilliard School in New York and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia Among her students were Jeanne Madden 10 Frances Bible 11 Helen Jepson and Rose Bampton 12 She can be heard on at least six recordings from 1924 and 1933 made for the Victor Talking Machine Company 13 As a writer Mario published three opera themed murder mysteries Murder in the Opera House E P Dutton 1934 Murder Meets Mephisto 1942 and Death Drops Delilah 1944 14 Personal life editMario married Metropolitan Opera conductor Wilfred Pelletier on November 23 1925 they divorced on August 12 1936 15 She died in New York in 1951 aged 54 years 16 17 References edit a b Josephine Van Der Grift Famous Opera Singer Born in Akron Will Sing At Armory Akron Beacon Journal March 24 1925 1 9 via Newspapers com nbsp Staff Queena Mario Sings to Students The New York Times May 26 1927 Accessed November 9 2017 Queena Mario of the Metropolitan Opera Company formerly of this city was a guest of the Plainfield High School today where she sang a group of four numbers to the student body The opera star whose family name was Tillotson is a graduate of the local high school and has been a guest of Mr and Mrs Albert L Coddington of Sheridan Avenue a b Queena Mario Gives Concert Here Tomorrow Courier News March 2 1932 6 via Newspapers com nbsp Frank D Quattrone Penn State Abington and the Ogontz School Arcadia Publishing 2016 77 ISBN 9781439657775 Queena Mario To Be Guest Artist Monday Star Tribune April 5 1931 16 via Newspapers com nbsp Queena Mario Proves a Human Nightingale Fort Wayne Journal Gazette April 22 1919 10 via Newspapers com nbsp Queena Mario Archives MetOperaFamily org Queena Mario Most Promising of Young Singers Post Crescent October 9 1925 7 via Newspapers com nbsp Torch Song or Rigoletto it s All Same to Queena Pittsburgh Press November 29 1936 48 via Newspapers com nbsp Broke All Rules to Make Jeanne Madden a Star Truth November 1 1936 35 via Trove nbsp Elizabeth Forbes 10 February 2001 Frances Bible The Independent Whistler s Murder The New Yorker January 19 1935 12 Queena Mario Discography of American Historical Recordings UC Santa Barbara Library Queena Mario 54 Soprano is Dead The New York Times May 29 1951 23 Miss Queena Mario Gets Divorce in Reno The New York Times August 13 1936 12 Queena Mario Tillotson Met Opera Singer Dies Plainfield Courier News 15 via Newspapers com nbsp Queena Mario Rites Tomorrow The New York Times May 30 1951 17 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Queena Mario Queena Mario at Find a Grave Queena Mario s listing in the San Francisco Opera Performance Archive Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Queena Mario amp oldid 1182372871, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
