page:  = <unk> <unk> = 
   
   <unk> <unk> ( September 20 , 1885 – December 20 , 1958 ) was a Canadian @-@ American <unk> @-@ soprano and voice teacher . She performed and popularised songs by contemporary composers throughout her career and sang in the American premieres of several works by Erik <unk> , Maurice Ravel and Igor Stravinsky , including the title role in the latter 's <unk> . 
   The niece of Lady <unk> and Sir Wilfrid <unk> , who also were her patrons , she initially trained and performed in Europe . She then travelled to Java and for four years immersed herself in its native music , which she introduced to North American audiences on her return . She retired from performing in 1937 , and opened a voice studio in New York , where she became a founding member of the American Guild of Musical Artists and served on its board of governors . <unk> was praised for the many qualities her singing brought to music . The citation from the <unk> Society of San Francisco , which she received in 1949 , said : " ... her rare open @-@ mindedness and unorthodox enthusiasm having been initially responsible for the recognition of many vital and important modern composers " 
   
   = = Singing career = = 
   
   Born in Ottawa , Ontario , <unk> received musical lessons as a child , in harmony , voice , and piano . The custom of the time dictated that North American musicians travel to Europe for training if they desired a <unk> professional career , and in July 1902 , at the age of seventeen , <unk> set out for Europe , financed by her aunt and uncle , Lady <unk> <unk> and Sir Wilfrid <unk> . 
   
   = = = Training in Europe = = = 
   
   <unk> travelled to France , where she received private voice lessons from Auguste @-@ Jean <unk> of the Paris <unk> . <unk> on her vocal <unk> were problematic , but they were removed <unk> . She later began training under Jacques <unk> , whom she would later credit for her vocal technique . In 1906 , <unk> was retained by fellow Canadian singer Emma Albani to accompany her on a tour of England and her Canadian farewell tour . Albani provided a degree of <unk> to <unk> during the 30 week tour of Canada . 
   Lord <unk> awarded <unk> a scholarship in 1906 that allowed her to return to Europe and continue her vocal studies . She returned there and continued both to study and give performances . Her first operatic performance came in 1909 in <unk> , Italy as <unk> in <unk> 's Carmen . She landed a second operatic role as <unk> in <unk> ' <unk> , which was being performed by the London Covent Garden opera company . The opera opened in June 1910 . <unk> , <unk> <unk> , the <unk> <unk> soprano of the company , feared that <unk> 's voice would <unk> her own , and demanded that <unk> be removed from the opera . The company 's director <unk> to <unk> 's demands , informing <unk> on opening night that she would not be performing . <unk> reacted badly , and quit opera entirely . 
   
   = = = <unk> to Java = = = 
   
   <unk> by her blocked entry into the operatic scene , <unk> departed Europe and travelled to Java . There , she met a Dutch <unk> and plantation manager named <unk> <unk> . <unk> and <unk> married on May 22 , 1911 . <unk> studied the music of Java , and began to include this in her repertoire . Her accompanying pianist was Paul <unk> , who had previously been the conductor for the <unk> of <unk> , which afforded <unk> a number of opportunities . On permission of the Javanese court , she studied the <unk> , probably being the first western woman with a classical music education to be afforded this opportunity . While living in Java , <unk> travelled extensively , giving performances in China , Japan , Singapore , Malaya , Australia , and New Zealand . She remained in Java for four years , but with the outbreak of World War I she decided to travel back to North America , arriving in New York City in the fall of 1915 . 
   
   = = = Return to North America = = = 
   
   Arriving in New York , <unk> struggled to find a niche in an already crowded music scene . She put on a performance in Vaudeville entitled <unk> , which combined <unk> music with dancers . New York was already home to many North American and European musical performers , so <unk> focused on her <unk> musical repertoire , which she combined with knowledge and skill in modernist western singing . <unk> began giving annual recitals at <unk> Hall , and in November 1917 her performance there caught the eye of many leading composers . She developed her own reputation quickly , known as a " ... sensitive <unk> of interesting , <unk> songs " . She gave renditions of three songs by Maurice Ravel . Her performance then also included American premieres of Stravinsky 's Three Japanese Lyrics and <unk> ' Five Poems of Ancient China and Japan . The performance was a great success , and she began to receive invitations to perform premieres of songs by contemporary composers . Stravinsky arranged to have <unk> to premiere all of his vocal pieces . 
   <unk> travelled to Paris in 1920 at the behest of the Music League of America . <unk> there to arrange a tour of North America by Maurice Ravel , she struck up a friendship and professional correspondence not only with him , but also with Erik <unk> and Les six . This led to more music being sent to her by various composers that she would premiere in concert . She accepted and premiered almost all works sent to her , the only exception being a refusal to perform <unk> <unk> by Arnold <unk> . Through this , <unk> performed large amounts of contemporary French music across the United States . She also included American music in all of her concerts . <unk> toured America frequently and returned to Europe in 1922 , and again in 1923 . She began to explore Jazz music in concert as well , earning her negative reviews by many musical critics . 
   Her 1923 annual performance at <unk> Hall entitled " <unk> of Ancient and Modern Music for Voice " became a historic occasion when she presented the works of George <unk> , the first time his works were performed by a classical singer in concert . The first half of the programme presented works considered serious music at the time . She performed both classical works by <unk> <unk> and Henry Purcell , mixing them with modernist and neoclassical works by Arnold <unk> , Darius <unk> , <unk> <unk> , and Paul <unk> . The second half of her performance would upset the musical establishment , however . She opened with Alexander 's <unk> Band by Irving Berlin , then performed works by Jerome Kern and Walter Donaldson , and finally finished with three works by George <unk> : I 'll <unk> a <unk> to Paradise , Innocent <unk> Baby , and <unk> . <unk> played the piano for these pieces . Important figures in the audience included <unk> Schumann @-@ <unk> , Virgil Thomson , and Paul <unk> . Although some musical critics panned her decision to include Jazz music , the performance was overall a huge success , and provoked serious discussion among conservative audiences whether jazz music could be considered serious art . 
   <unk> continued to present music that was thought poorly of by conservative audiences . On some occasions , such as her performances of <unk> in New York in 1923 and 1925 , as well as in London in 1925 , this was quite successful . A critic in Vienna welcomed her musical selection as a <unk> from the usual fare of classical performances - Schubert , <unk> , Wolf , Richard <unk> - while praising her skill with more classical choices . Other performances suffered – she was <unk> while performing works by <unk> Villa @-@ <unk> at the Festival of the International Society of Contemporary Music in Venice . She became a celebrity , and continued giving performances across the United States , Europe , and her native Canada . On the <unk> anniversary of Canadian Confederation in 1927 , she gave a performance in Ottawa which was the first <unk> radio broadcast in Canada . Although she toured Canada from time to time , and attended performances of Canadian music in New York , she held a negative opinion of Canada 's treatment of native musicians , saying " Canadians . . . would rather listen to foreigners than their own people . " 
   
   = = = <unk> from the stage = = = 
   
   Illness forced <unk> to halt giving performances in the late 1920s , but she would return to the stage in 1931 , giving a concert in Havana , Cuba . As time passed she began to engage more and more in teaching , and less and less in stage performing . Her income from teaching was substantially better than from touring . She retired from performing entirely in 1937 , and opened a music studio in New York . There she became a founding member of the American Guild of Musical Artists , serving on its board of governors . She died on December 20 , 1958 . 
   
   = = <unk> of critics and audiences = = 
   
   <unk> was a controversial musician in her time . Her choice of music for performance was often condemned , and often praised . The <unk> of jazz music for a <unk> trained singer , combined with the performances taking place in concert halls lead some critics to <unk> her for promoting otherwise overlooked music , and others to <unk> her for taking <unk> music into a <unk> venue . 
   A May 1 , 1917 review by the New York Times praised her natural talent , with some reservations about the <unk> quality of her voice . Her ability to capture the spirit of the pieces was also praised : " ... her singing of songs by Frenchmen of today and the day before yesterday gave pleasure because of her understanding of them and the appropriate expression which she found for them . " 
   A November 12 , 1923 Time review of her performance of historic Italian songs , as well as modern English , French , Austrian , German and American numbers focused on her choice to include selections of contemporary jazz music . The critic remarked " Her voice was much too good for jazz . " Here she was praised as a serious , scholarly artist whose performance was " ... <unk> and expressive . " The audience received the concert very enthusiastically . 
   Her performance in <unk> in 1923 resulted in a headline in the <unk> <unk> the next day that was headed Eva <unk> ’ s Program <unk> Whole Town <unk> : Many People Are of Two <unk> Regarding Jazz Numbers – Some <unk> <unk> That They Like Them – Others <unk> Silent or <unk> Them . The review divides the audience and critics into various camps : those who openly enjoyed and applauded the performance ; those who openly disliked and condemned it ; those unsure how to react to a performance they liked but felt was inappropriate ; and those who liked the performance but would not show approval for fear of looking foolish or <unk> . 
   
   = = <unk> materials = = 
   
   <unk> <unk> papers , 1899 @-@ 1960 Music Division , The New York Public Library . 
   
   