Born: 21 March 1838, Czechia
Died: 15 April 1911
Country most active: International
Also known as: Wilma Norman-Neruda, Wilma Hallé, Lady Hallé, Vilemína Maria Franziska Neruda
From Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women. Written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company:
Wilma Neruda, known in her later years as Lady Hallé (1839-1911), an English violinist, born in Austria. She came of a distinguished family of violinists, and was the daughter of Josef Neruda, organist of the Cathedral at Brünn, in Moravia. She began to play the violin almost as soon as she could walk, and at seven years of age made her first appearance in Vienna where she excited much astonishment by the extraordinary power of her bow, and her great execution, notwithstanding the smallness of her hands. In 1864, after playing in Paris with unusual success, she married Ludwig Norman, a Swedish musician. Having frequently played in London, she was induced to remain there after 1869, and appeared at many concerts, playing with ever-increasing power and refinement. In 1888 she married Sir Charles Hallé, and was associated with him on the concert-platform until 1895, when he died. The distinctive title of “Violinist to the Queen” was conferred upon her by Queen Alexandra in 1901.
The following is excerpted from the 1912 supplement to the Dictionary of National Biography, originally published between 1885 and 1900, by Smith, Elder & Co. It was written by Henry Davey.
HALLÉ [formerly Norman-Neruda], WILMA MARIA FRANCISCA, Lady Hallé (1839–1911), violinist, was third child and second daughter of Josef Neruda (1807–75), organist of the cathedral of Brünn, Moravia, where she was born on 21 March 1839. Almost in infancy Wilma began to play the violin. Her teacher was Leopold Jansa. At the age of seven she played one of Bach’s sonatas at Vienna, and her fine rendering excited general astonishment. A tour through North Germany with her family followed. On 30 April 1849 she appeared at the Princess’s Theatre, London, and on 11 June played a concerto of De Bériot at the Philharmonic concerts. Other tours through Europe spread her fame. In 1864 she made most successful appearances at Paris, and there she married in the same year Ludwig Norman, a Swedish musician, taking the surname of Norman-Neruda. She returned to London in 1869, appeared at the Philharmonic concerts, and remained till Christmas, leading the quartets at the Monday popular concerts. The favour accorded her brought her back to London] every winter. She was specially distinguished as a quartet-leader. In 1876 Prince Alfred, afterwards duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, joined with Earls Dudley and Hardwicke in presenting her with the celebrated Stradivanus violin that had belonged to Ernst. In 1886 she was left a widow. On 26 July 1888 she married her second husband. Sir Charles Hallé [q. v. Suppl. I], with whom she had long been professionally associated. After his death in 1895 King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, became president of an influential committee which was formed to raise a fund for her benefit. As a result, the title-deeds of a palace at Asolo were presented to Lady Hallé. After the death on 11 Sept. 1898 of her only son (by her first husband) in a mountaineering accident in the Dolomites, Lady Halle settled at Berlin as a teacher, re-visiting England every year and being formally appointed in 1901 violinist to Queen Alexandra. On 25 Jan. 1908 she played at the concert in London in memory of Joachim, who was one of her frequent associates. She died at Berlin from inflammation of the lungs on 15 April 1911. Effective technique, superb bowing, an indefinable touch of genius in her interpretations gave her a unique place among violinists; her tone scarcely yielded in fulness to the greatest male performers.