Adelaide Phillipps by Sarony

Adelaide Phillips (1833-1882); English contralto.
At the age of seven she emigrated with her family; first to Canada and then to the USA (Boston). At the age of nine she already performed children’s roles and during the years 1843/51 she performed minor roles at the Museum Theatre in Boston. In 1850 she was introduced to the famous singer Jenny Lind, who advised her a singing study. She became the pupil of Manuel Garcia Jr and W.C. Masters in London. She continued her studies in Italy and in 1853 she made her debut at the Teatro Grande in Brescia as Arsace in Rossini's "Semiramide". In 1854 she made guest appearances in Milan at the Teatro Carcano as Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia". In Europe she used the stage name of Signora Filippi. In 1854 she returned to Boston, where she gave concerts and performed in so called English Ballad-Operas. In 1854 she also made her New York debut and in 1856 she sang at the "Academy of Music" the role of Azucena in Verdi's "Il Trovatore". In the following five seasons she was very successful at the Academy. After a guest appearance in Havana, she went to Paris in 1861 and appeared there at the Théâtre-Italien as Azucena. In Europe she made further guest appearances in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), The Netherlands and Hungary. In 1871 she joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company. In 1874 she founded her own opera company and in 1876 she undertook a tour through the United States. In 1879 she came back to Boston and sang there for two years with the "Ideal Opera company". Her last stage performance was in 1881 in Cincinnati. She died during a cure stay in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary), but found her final resting place in Marshfield (Massachusetts).

Her sister Mathilde Phillipps (1853-1915) was a mezzo-soprano, who in 1874 made her debut in the title role of Rossini's "La Cenerentola" at the "Adelaide Phillipps Opera Company".