Wilma Neruda

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Wilma Norman-Neruda

Wilma Neruda, Lady Hallé, (March 21, 1838 in Brno Moravia – April 15, 1911 in Berlin) was a Czech violinist. She came from a family long famous for musical talent. At those times the violin was not considered a proper instrument for a woman. Her father, Josef Neruda (1807-1875) the organist of the cathedral of Brno, introduced her to playing the piano but Wilhelmina was caught secretly playing her brothers violin, which she preferred, and finally allowed to play it.

The family moved to Vienna, where Wilhelmina studied with Professor Leopold Jansa (1795-1875). She made her first public appearance as a violinist in Vienna at the age of seven, playing one of Bach's Violin Sonatas.

She married the Swedish musician Ludwig Norman (1831-1885) in Stockholm in 1864 and had a son, Ludwig Norman Neruda who became a famous mountaineer and painter. Four years later she moved to London with her son. After Ludwig Norman died, she married the German-English musician Charles Hallé in 1888. When he was knighted later the same year, she became Lady Hallé. Given a Palazzo in Asolo, Italy, after her husband's death, she moved there to live with her son Ludwig who died in 1898 climbing in the Dolomites. After her son's death she moved to Berlin.

James Scott Skinner wrote a tune titled "Madame Neruda" in her honor. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote of Holmes and Watson attending one of her concerts. [1]