The Soprano-Flute Collaborations of Nellie Melba: Charting North America 

Abstract  

In her lifetime, Nellie Melba was arguably the most famous singer in the world. The Australian soprano traveled to Europe in 1886 to pursue her musical career, and quickly became both the star of the opera houses and concert halls of Europe and North America and a prolific recording artist. Melba frequently used her talents for various philanthropic causes, and used her influence to promote the careers of rising musicians.  

Unlike the concert tours of today, where classical performers fill an entire program with solo repertoire, Melba brought an entourage of international musicians to fill her concerts for audiences to discover.  While the personnel varied from tour to tour, she invariably brought at least one pianist, and a flutist. To have toured with Melba became a mark of accomplishment, and the flutists with whom she toured frequently mention it in their biographies.   

On her Fall 2020 sabbatical, associate professor of music Jessica Raposo used the pandemic isolation to take a deep dive into print and digital resources to both formulate a career timeline for Melba, and begin archival work into Melba’s North American appearances. Dr. Raposo will provide a brief overview of The Melba Project; some highlights of her findings thus far; and an overview of new potential outcomes for future The Melba Project concerts.  

Biographical statement  

Jessica Raposo, D.M.A., is Associate Professor of Music at Indiana University East, where she teaches flute and courses in music theory, history, and performance. She previously taught at Fairfield University, and the Norwalk, Naugatuck Valley, and Jackson State community colleges. As a flutist, she performs as a solo and chamber musician in Indiana, Ohio, and Connecticut. Recent projects include Duo Rouge, a flute duo performing on multiple flutes, and The Melba Project, a soprano/flute duo.   

Raposo earned her music degrees from the University of Michigan, the Royal Academy of Music, and the University of British Columbia. While earning her graduate degrees, she taught flute for King’s College (London), and taught flute and music theory for the University of British Columbia.  Her research into the flute’s English performance history won her the National Flute Association’s 2008 Graduate Research Competition. Her articles have been published in the journals of the NFA, British Flute Society, and Netherlands Flute Society. Dr. Raposo is a frequent presenter at the NFA annual conventions, and has presented at the College Music Society national conference and the IUPUI Assessment Institute.   

Her orchestral experience includes the Vancouver, Burnaby, and Muncie symphonies, Michigan Pops Orchestra, and the Rome Festival Orchestra. An avid solo and chamber musician, Dr. Raposo was flutist with the Wolverine Winds quintet, the Goodenough Chamber Orchestra, Trio Euterpe, and the Tempest Flute Ensemble. She performed for Sir James Galway at the University of British Columbia’s FluteFest in 2005, and won the 2007 NFA’s Piccolo Masterclass Competition.