Carolina White

Carolina White (May 23, 1886 – October 5, 1961) was an American operatic soprano who had an active performance career during the first three decades of the 20th century. After beginning her career as a concert soprano in Boston in 1905, she went to Europe where she established herself as a leading soprano in Italy and Switzerland, beginning at the Teatro di San Carlo in 1908. After appearing in major opera houses like La Scala and La Fenice, White left Europe in 1910 to join the roster of artists at the Chicago Grand Opera Company where she was a leading soprano through 1914. After this she was active primarily as a concert soprano up through 1922. She made several recordings for Columbia Records during the second decade of the 20th century.

In addition to her work as a soprano, White had a brief career as an actress, appearing opposite Enrico Caruso in the silent film My Cousin (1918). Today she is best remembered for performing leading roles in the United States premieres of several operas; including the American premieres of Wolf-Ferrari's Il segreto di Susanna in 1911 and I gioielli della Madonna in 1912, and Leoncavallo's Zingari in 1913. She was also one of the first performers to portray Minnie in Puccini's La fanciulla del West; performing that role shortly after its world premiere in New York in 1910 for that opera's first performances in the cities of Chicago (1910), Milwaukee (1910), and Boston (1911). White was critically successful in many roles. She was particularly admired for her portrayal of the title role in Verdi's Aida.

Life and career Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, White graduated from Brighton High School in her native city at the age of 17. She studied singing in Boston with Weldon Hunt for five years before pursuing further vocal training in Naples, Italy with Frederick Roberti and Carlo Sebastiani. She later studied in that city with the conductor Paolo Longone; ultimately marrying him in 1910. Her other repertoire in Chicago included Barbara de la Guerra in Herbert's Natoma, Mozart's Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and Aida;