Beloved singer Nellie Melba

It was said that Nellie Melba had “a beautiful voice; one of those clear, silvery, placid voices that flow without the slightest effort.”

Nellie was born as Helen Porter Mitchell, but took on the pseudonym Melba from her hometown of Melbourne, Australia. After a bad marriage, Nellie moved from Australia to Europe, where she became a beloved singer, making her debut in 1888. 

Throughout her career, she was invited to sing all around the world.  

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Notes:

• Click here to read a snapshot biography of another singer, Adelina Patti.

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• Photograph of Nellie was taken circa 1907.

Sources:

• The Musical Times, vol. 67, no. 999, 1926, pp. 427–427. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/912095.

• Klein, Herman. “Melba: An Appreciation.” The Musical Times, vol. 72, no. 1058, 1931, pp. 305–308. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/916449.

• “Mme. Melba.” National Library of Australia, https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-145733794/view