Emma Nevada  

Famous operatic soprano   b. 2/7/1859   d. 6/20/1940

Emma Nevada  (born Emma Wixom ) debuted at Her Majesty'sTheatre in London on May 17, 1880. Although she kept her professional name for the rest of her life, she never again lived in Nevada, or even in the states, preferring Paris, London and Liverpool.

She was born in a tiny mining camp just a few miles from Nevada City, California in 1859. In 1861 her family moved to a house on Broad Street in Nevada City, where her physician father practiced until 1864. The house still stands today and is operated as a bed and breakfast. (See www.emmanevadahouse.com) In 1864 the family moved to Austin, Nevada, a fledgling silver camp. It was here in school that Emma's musical talents became apparent. Following the death of her mother in 1872, Emma was sent to Mills Seminary (now Mills College) in Oakland California. In 1877, she went to Europe to continue her musical training. Opera was enjoying its heyday in Europe during the last half of the 19^th century and Emma remained there for the rest of her life, visiting the US with touring opera companies.

She sang with some of the most famous companies of the time in Florence, Genoa, Paris and London. In 1884 she toured the major cities of the US. She performed at Piper's Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada on December 3, 1885, the last time she was in her beloved home state. She retired from professional performing in 1907 and moved to London where she taught singing until her death in 1940 in Liverpool, England.

The New York Times obituary called her a world renown opera star, who loved her beloved Nevada.

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