La Voix Éternelle: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Pauline Viardot (Part Two)

Contralto Melissa Elsman and pianist Kathryn Southworth perform part two of this lecture–recital exploring the life and music of Pauline Viardot (1821–1910). We pick up after her celebrated operatic career to examine her retirement from the stage and the extraordinary legacy she left behind — not only as a performer, but as a composer, mother, and revered voice teacher. Remarkably, she continued teaching, composing, and mentoring artists until her final days at the age of eighty-eight. More than a century later, her influence still resonates — reaching us in unexpected ways, even here in Concord, New Hampshire.

This program highlights the wide range of her compositional voice, featuring works in French and Spanish that span from the tender simplicity of a lullaby written for her daughter to the sensual brilliance of her Havanaise, revealing the depth, versatility, and enduring vitality of her artistry.

This private event will take place at Pleasant View Retirement in Concord, NH. This event is a part of the Concord Community Music School’s Classical Concert Series, made possible by the New Hampshire Charitable Fondation’s Ellen Downing Waite and Edward Osgood Wait Fund.