Emma was of the finest coloratura soprano opera singers who
was born in California and has her portrait on Bellini’s monument in Naples.
Strangely she now lies here at the back of a graveyard in Crosby in Merseyside.
Born in
California Emma Wixom spent her early childhood in Nevada (from which she took
her stage name). With an absorbent ear she studied languages (including sign
language) at college in California as well as music. It was the latter that
claimed her though and she made her stage debut at 21 in an opera at Her
Majesty's Theatre in London. With a sublime voice she performed in Milan in
1881 and Paris in 1883. From here she toured America with an opera company.
Having seen most
of the world she ended up here through love. Aged 55 she met an English
physician who later became her manager. The married in Paris and made a home
there though after her last performance in Berlin in 1910 she retired from the
stage, moved to Merseyside and taught singing.