She began her
education at the age of 13 with Frank Buels in Ottawa and as a young girl sang
in 1901 in Ottawa as contralto at St. Patrick's Church in church concerts. In
1901 she was sent to Europe for further studies. There she was a student of
Dubulle and Bouhy in Paris, William Shakespeare in London and Anna Schoen-Rene
in Berlin. In 1905 she had a great success as concert singer in Paris. In 1906
she accompanied the famous prima donna Emma Albani as assistant artist on her
farewell tour through Canada. After additional education under legendary tenor
Giuseppe Oxilia in Milan, she made her debut at the Teatro Regio in Parma, now
as soprano, singing the part of Micaela in ‘’Carmen’’ (1910). The same year she
also appeared at the London Covent Garden. In 1911 she married a Dutchman, with
whom she moved to Batavia, Java. In 1916 she separated from him and came to
North America. Here she gave very successful concerts. She was a friend of such
a composers like Schoenberg, Satie, Ravel, Stravinsky, Honegger and Poulenc and
was regarded as an important interpreter of songs of modern composers. In 1917
she appeared in Stravinsky's ‘’Poème Japonais’’ at Aeolian Hall in New York. In
1923 she first time sang George Gershwin’s works during a song recital in New
York and was accompanied by the composer at the piano. She also appeared in
Europe in the 1920’s. In 1925 she performed in Venice. In 1926 and 1928 she
made guest appearances in Berlin. Her career lasted until the years of World
War II. Her sister Juliette Gauthier (1888-1972) was a mezzo soprano and like
her a successful concert singer.
Chronology of some
appearances
1910 Parma Teatro
Regio
1910 London Covent
Garden
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