About Selma Kempner
Lived 1849 – 1928 (aged 79). Selma Kempner was a German music educator, opera singer, singer and musician.
Selma Nicklaß-Kempner, occasionally also Niklas-Kempner, (2 April 1850 – 22 December 1928) was a German operatic soprano and singing teacher.
Life Born in Breslau, Nicklass-Kempner was a Student of Jenny Meyer (1834–1894) and made her debut as "Amina" in Bellini's La sonnambula at the Berlin Kroll Opera House. She had engagements in Aachen, Augsburg, Berlin (at the Stern Conservatory), Leipzig, Rotterdam and Vienna, where from 1884 she worked as a singing teacher at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and gave private lessons to Princess Stéphanie of Belgium (1864-1945).
The long list of students speaks for her skills and reputation as a singing teacher.
Nicklass-Kempner died in Berlin at the age of 78. Her grave is located at the Friedhof Wilmersdorf in Berlin.
Her husband, Georg Nicklass, died on 28 May 1893 at the age of 41 in Vienna, Trauerhaus Innere Stadt. Her daughter, Bertha Nicklass-Kempner, also became a soprano soloist and later, a singing teacher based in London. Her pupils included the international soprano Joan Carlyle.
Students
Louise von Ehrenstein (1867–1944) Mary Hagen (1867/1878–1944) Fanny Opfer (1870–1944) Ottilie Metzger (1878–1944) Ida Salden (1878–probably before 1930) Gertrud Förstel (1880–1950) Frieda Hempel (1885–1955) Mathilde Fröhlich
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Important facts
People in Selma Kempner's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Selma Kempner's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Selma Kempner?
German singer and music educator (1849–1928)
When was Selma Kempner born?
Selma Kempner was born on 2 April 1849 in Wrocław.
When did Selma Kempner die?
Selma Kempner died on 22 December 1928 in Berlin.
What was Selma Kempner's occupation?
Selma Kempner was a music educator, opera singer, singer and musician.
What nationality was Selma Kempner?
Selma Kempner was German.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Selma Nicklass-Kempner
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Selma Kempner. https://biography.guide/selma-kempner/
MLA: "Selma Kempner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/selma-kempner/.
Chicago: "Selma Kempner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/selma-kempner/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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