Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 1861 – 23 February 1931) was an Australian soprano who became a global star in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She was the first Australian classical musician to win international fame. Her stage name came from her hometown, Melbourne.

She grew up in Richmond, Victoria, as the eldest of seven children. Her father, a builder from Scotland, taught her piano, and she sang in public for the first time at about age six. After local schooling and study at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College, she trained with Mary Ellen Christian and the Italian tenor Pietro Cecchi. She performed in amateur concerts and played church organ as a teen. Her father supported her music but opposed a singing career. Her mother died suddenly in 1881.

The family moved to Mackay, Queensland, where her father built a sugar mill. There, Melba became known for her singing and piano. In December 1882, she married Charles Nesbitt Frederick Armstrong in Brisbane. They had a son, George, born in October 1883. The marriage failed—Charles reportedly beat her—and they separated after just over a year. She returned to Melbourne, determined to sing professionally, and made her concert debut in 1884. The flautist John Lemmone often accompanied her and became a lifelong friend.

After local success, she went to London in 1886. Her debut at the Princes’ Hall made little impact, and she failed to get work from Arthur Sullivan, Carl Rosa, or Augustus Harris. She then studied in Paris with Mathilde Marchesi, who instantly saw her potential, exclaiming, “I have a star at last!” Within a year, Melba sang the “Mad Scene” from *Hamlet* at a matinée in Marchesi’s home, with the composer present. Impresario Maurice Strakosch offered her a ten-year contract at 1000 francs yearly. She signed, then received a better offer of 3000 francs per month from the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Strakosch blocked her with an injunction, but his sudden death freed her. Four days later, on 12 October 1887, she made her operatic debut as Gilda in *Rigoletto* at La Monnaie. Critic Herman Klein called it “an instant triumph.” She soon succeeded as Violetta in *La traviata*. On Marchesi’s advice, she adopted the name “Melba.”

Her Covent Garden debut came in May 1888, as the title role in *Lucia di Lammermoor*. The reception was polite but cool; *The Musical Times* said she lacked “personal charm.” Offended when Harris offered her only the small role of Oscar in *Un ballo in maschera* for the next season, she left England vowing never to return. The following year, she performed Ophélie in *Hamlet* at the Paris Opéra, which *The Times* called “a brilliant success.” Backed by the influential Lady de Grey, she was persuaded to return to Covent Garden, where Harris cast her in *Roméo et Juliette* in June 1889. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1893. Her repertoire was small—she sang no more than 25 roles in her career, closely identified with only 10. She excelled in French and Italian opera but rarely sang German works.

During World War I, she raised large sums for war charities. She visited Australia often in the 20th century, singing opera and concerts, and had a house built near Melbourne. She taught singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium. She kept performing until her final months, giving many “farewell” appearances. Her death in Australia made news across the English-speaking world, and her funeral was a major national event. Her image appears on the Australian $100 note.