Born: 13 June 1856, United States
Died: 8 April 1925
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Abbie Beeson Carrington Lewys
The following is excerpted from A Woman of the Century, edited by Frances E. Willard and Mary A Livermore, published in 1893 by Charles Wells Moulton.
CARRINGTON, Miss Abbie, operatic singer, born in Fond du Lac, Wis., 13th June, 1856. Her musical talents showed themselves at an early age. In September, 1875, she went to Boston, Mass., and studied under J. H. Wheeler. In 1887 she was graduated from the New England Conservatory. She then went to Italy, w here she began the study of opera under Giuseppe Perini. and after one year of study she made her debut in Milan, in “Traviata.” In Cervia and Ravenna she won a triumph as Gilda. in “Rigoletto.” She was next engaged for a season of two months in Turin and for one month in Brescia; then she went to Venice to sing during the Carnival season. She made her debut in the United States on 7th October. 1879. in Boston, Mass.. with the Stakosch Opera Company. She next appeared in New York City with Theodore Thomas and the Philharmonic Society. In January, 1879, she made a tour of the chief American lilies, supported by the Mendelssohn Quintette Club of Boston. In 1880-81 she made Tier first operatic tour with the Strakosch-Hess Grand English Opera Company. In 1881-82 she was re-engaged by Mr. Strakosch to sing on alternate nights with Mme. Etelka Gerster. In 1883-84 Miss Carrington visited Mexico and achieved so pronounced a success that in Vera Cruz, Orizaba, Pueblo, Monterey and the City of Mexico she received in writing the thanks of the municipality for the great pleasure she had given their people during her stay among them, and as a declaration of their esteem and appreciation made and presented her subscriptions to the amount of $31,000, to re-visit them the following season with her own company. Miss Carrington returned to the United States early in April, and immediately sailed for Europe at the solicitation of Manager Ernest Gye, of Covent Garden Theater, London. While there she secured some of the excellent talent that supported her during the following season, commencing in Richmond, Va., going directly South and to Mexico. During 1884-85 the Abbie Carrington Grand Opera Company proved to be one of the most successful of the organizations on the road. During 1885-86 Miss Carrington reappeared in Italian opera with Her Majesty’s Grand Opera Company. In 1887, after six consecutive seasons in grand opera, having sung the leading soprano rôles in twenty different operas, Miss Carrington took a much-needed rest, which resulted in opening a new sphere of work, and since that time she has traveled only with her own company in concert and oratorio. The season of 1890-91, the most successful and extended of her career, was a tour of the Pacific Coast and British Columbia. Miss Carrington’s voice is a soprano. Her home is in Fond du Lac.