Fanny Simonsen, also written Fannie Simonsen, was a French soprano singer who had a substantial career on the Australian stage, later a concert manager with her violinist husband Martin Simonsen. Several daughters and one grand-daughter, Frances Alda, were first-rate singers.
The Simonsens' first Australian advertisement
Frances Davis Alda was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised operatic lyric soprano. She achieved fame during the first three decades of the 20th century due to her outstanding singing voice, fine technique and colourful personality, as well as her frequent onstage partnerships at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, with Enrico Caruso.
Alda circa 1920
Frances Alda relaxing away from the stage, 1909
1920 newspaper advertisement for an Alda concert at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis, USA.