Melva Clemaire (1874 – April 18, 1937) was the stage name of Mellie Wilde, an American soprano singer.
Early life Mellie M. Wilde was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Francis F. Wilde and Melvina Ganyaw Wilde. Her father, who was born in Vienna, was a veteran of the American Civil War, and a real estate lawyer. She studied music with Emil Oberhoffer.
Career Wilde made her first public concert appearance in 1895, at the Metropolitan Opera House in St. Paul."A Week of Music" Saint Paul Globe (April 14, 1895): 14. via Newspapers.com Melva Clemaire toured Sweden in 1906, and sang at London's Albert Hall. In 1907 and 1908 she was the featured performer touring nationally with the Bostonia Sextette Club."Bostonia Sextette" Wausau Daily Herald (December 11, 1907): 1. via Newspapers.com"Melva Clemaire, at Home and Abroad" Musical Courier (April 1, 1908): 30."A Double Concert" The St. Johnsbury Caledonian (March 4, 1908): 4. via Newspapers.com She was described as having "a beautiful, clear soprano voice that shows fine training.""The Bostonia Sextette" Manhattan Nationalist (October 17, 1907): 1. via Newspapers.com She also sang with the Henry W. Savage Opera Company and the Gallo Italian Grand Opera Company. In 1915 she arranged for the San Carlo Grand Opera Company to perform in Minneapolis."San Carlo Grand Opera Coming to Metropolitan" Star Tribune (December 19, 1915): 50. via Newspapers.com
Personal life Wilde was a Christian Scientist."Christian Science Practitioners" Christian Science Journal (July 1921): xxxiii. She married Mark O. Graves in 1896."Sunday's Pioneer Press" Little Falls Weekly Transcript (April 17, 1896): 9. via Newspapers.com She was widowed in 1924,"Apartment Manager Dies" Minneapolis Star (May 16, 1924): 18. via Newspapers.com and she died in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1937, aged 63 years."Melva Graves' Funeral is Set" Minneapolis Star (April 20, 1937): 13. via Newspapers.com
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