Show MISS NIKITA an amerian born song quell who inho will surpass electrifies THE WHOLE WORLD WO anil tile best of it is is she is ono of oar own owa american gals cals hor success by courtesy of mr NN V S lamoreaux we are enabled to reproduce the following 0 which appeared in the musical courier Couri crof of september 1893 I 1 I 1 tho ellma donna portrait we vi 0 o reproduce in this issue was born in ill the city of Wae hington agton U D C august 18 1872 and is it a descendant scon daut ant of daniel boone the undaunted ke kentucky my pioneer nikita commenced her musical education under uie the guidance 0 of f mr lo le roy at the age 0 of ei eight ht years vears at the a age ae e of e eleven even sho she was taken to paris shortly after tier her arrival in the french capital sho lie was placed in tile institute rudy and afterward in the hands of maurice theron owned master and impresario of mrs adelina patti mr Stra hosch was so enchanted with the great talent of nl akita Nikita that lie he exclaimed 1 11 I havo never heard such a marvel marvelous marv clous ous voice it Is better than adelinis Ad elinas when miss nikita became fifteen years of age the great areat 0 star elar discoverer engaged lier her as prima d inna for a period of six years year and in announcing 0 the fact he wrote she is a revel revelation 1 aaion the incarnation of musical and dramatic genius her first debut in it eurada was vas made at nice in the sunny of france from that time sho she took a prominent place in the rank of tile tho worlds most brilliant artists artist s this her first triumph proved that etymology 0 gy 0 was right for once as it assign it the meaning td of victory to the name nikita pronounced nee kee tah at lier her concerts in paris she was assisted by the veteran tenor Tamberli kf and tho the illustrious composers jules massanet Mas senet E ernest re reyce ver and charles kourilo Gouny ti from paris she went to london where she appeared as the star in chitty five anve grand concerts under the management of colonel mapleson and musical direct direction iun of alpi luig arditi who has just dedicated to her the day dan dawn n waltz song at the close of her en engagement ii i i a C ement at ifer her Maje theatre where the concerts were ivere given she remained in El england loland to fulfill a 3 number of other Impo important engagements 0 6 before entering upon the great continental tours that have made her famous in the musical world of europe nikita has sun sung in almost every city in the old world several times she has delighted light led enthusiastic audiences in england ireland scotland wales france franc germ any bavaria austria hungary bohemia switzerland swe Sw sweeden e berv derv denmark homand iio land poland finland russia siberia and a part of italy it would require much space to name all the royal personages to whom miss nikita has been presented and from whom she has received many precious presents and marks of distinction in the way of honorary medals and decorations among tho the titles she has merited none no no is valued above that she has chosen to follow her name prima donna to tile tho court of his ili highness 1 liness the duke of saxe coburg and gotha this thi 8 ap appointment P 0 i rient is douby doubly cherished by b y the diva because ernest 11 II is not only a grand duke but also a comp composer sr she has also been tho the of honorary medals from germany and the international academy of music and fine arts institute rudy in paris for excellence in in art and science her success in in opera was great from the timo time she made her first debut at moscow 1 march US 1889 1880 as Zor zerlina lina in in Moz arts master work don giov anni nikita was then only just out of adolescence yet tho the opinion of the nio most t able critics was that her zerlina was a creation that would lavo have satisfied mozart himself this was tho commencement of a brilliant succession of triumphs taa next operatic debut followed two days after as zerlina in aebers aubers ni melodious elodious opera efera of era dicavolo Dia volo then came Gou noda romeo and juliet and faust these operas were studied with the great composer coin poser 1 I li aletto Ol etto la ibula La jakino kino bozze de 1 Mi traviata 1 figaro mignon barbier Barbi cr de seville Se villo etc she left moscow for st sl peters lu arg rg to bill fring 0 in L la salle do de la a noblesse before tile the czar and czarina nikita says that sho will ill cherish the souvenir of this grind grand concert not alone becane of the imperial i but also beca catlen tit she was again honored by I 1 y havin having a had her great friend an to ton n there to direct her orchestral accompaniments during in an interval in the program giani his excellency the count S semen elsiell off on escorted nikita to the imperial logo and ushered ns hercil her into tile the presence of their imperial Maje majestic stieg the czarina astonished the grand duchesses the ladies in waiting 6 and the distinguished assern assemblage blage by disregarding rigid usages rind and t haking shaking s the hand of the lucky artist some idea of the popularity enjoyed boj ed b ly y nikita may bo be f from froin tho the vast hiim er of u liguri li muri and other precious preci oua stones amounting to over ii that have been been presented to her from her admirers rs allover all over europe she lias has 1 ben b en ell tile tho recipient also of two splendid silver and gold lauri daurt wreaths at tha imperial opera era at her last 1 ast appearance in moscow mosco W a mag magnificent ent silver service comprising sixty ono one exquisitely oil en grav graved ed objects were placed at her feet lt t the finish of her list last mor cea beau u added to these trophies are arc her largo large wardrobe of operatic costume co tume and concert gowns nikitas presence in america at this time is due to the following reasons immediately after the close other operatic season at tho the royal theatre krolls kroll in ili berlin in may blay 1892 she w was as induced to s sign ign 0 an ail engagement to appear as t the lie prima donna soprano in grand concerts to be gi chicago during tile the period of tile tho worlds columbian bi in exposition these concerts it was represented presented rc would bo be of the lie very highest musical order such as she had always without exception been accustomed to take part art in upon her arrival in chicago the young voting diva was astonished to learn lear n that tho the so called concerts were vero to be nothing 0 more or ICS than a series of performances of a vaudeville or variety charac character ter interspersed with the Groa greatest teet musical novelties on an earth and where eating smoking and drinking in 0 would be allowed and freely indulged in by the audience nikita not only promptly refused refuse to take a part in such euch a show bow but also brought an action in tho the courts court to recover heavy beavy damages hikita Ti kita has been engaged as 13 1 the I 1 C chief attract attraction iou of the worlds fair fai r orchestral association concerts in ill festival Fest ivil hall where her cent singing gives pleasure to then thousands s and renders honor to her country |