Carolina Ferni by Sidoli (1) with autograph

Carolina Ferni (1839-1926); Italian soprano and violinist. She started her career as a violinist together with her sister Virginia Ferni (1837-1926). From 1851 the two sisters undertook concert-tours through the northern part of Italy, Switzerland and France. They received further training in Paris and Bruxelles from the most famous violin-teachers of those days. In 1860 Viginia got married and stopped public performances; Carolina started a vocal study with the famous soprano Giuditta Pasta. She made her opera stage debut in 1862 in Turin as Leonora in Donizett’s “La Favorita”. From 1866-1868 she performed at La Scala in Milan. In 1878 she sang at the premiere of “Il violino del diavolo” an opera composed especially for her by Agostino Mercuri. In this opera she could both sing and play the violin. Her husband, the famous baritone Leone Giraldoni (1824-1897) also took part in that premiere. They had a son –Eugenio Giraldoni (1871-1924)- who like his father also became a famous baritone and created the role of Scarpia in Puccini’s “Tosca” in 1900. Caroline Ferni retired from the stage in 1883 and started a singing-school in Milan and later in St. Petersburg. Among her pupils were the soprano Eugenia Burzio, the tenor Enrico Caruso and of course her own son Eugenio Giraldoni.