Finding aid for the Carol Neblett papers 2019.012.s.r

Annie Tang, Claudia Horn
Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives, Leatherby Libraries
11/19/2019
Chapman University
One University Drive
Orange 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu


Contributing Institution: Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives, Leatherby Libraries
Title: Carol Neblett papers
Creator: Neblett, Carol
source: Schermerhorn, Stefan
Identifier/Call Number: 2019.012.s.r
Physical Description: 3 Linear feet 8 containers total (6 legal-sized document boxes, 1 half legal-sized document box, and 1 flat box)
Date (inclusive): 1954-2017
Abstract: This collection includes a select number of professional files of opera singer and Opera Chapman artist-in-residence Carol Neblett.
Language of Material: While a majority of the papers are in English, Series 3 and 4 include materials in Spanish, German, French, or Italian.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Adrienne Akre and Stefan Schermerhorn, in July 2018 and July 2019. Transferred from Dr. Peter L. Atherton, Robert and Norma Lineberger Endowed Chair of Music in the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music at Chapman University's College of Performing Arts.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into four series:

  • Series 1, Correspondence, 1971-2012
  • Series 2, Project files, 1954-2017
  • Series 3, Ephemera, 1962-2016
  • Series 4, Audio recordings, 1972-1995
Folders within the series are predominantly arranged in chronological order.
Series 1's correspondence materials are further divided by type of correspondent into files on Opera colleagues, Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (CAMI), Fan mail, "Neblett correspondence," Children fan mail, and Business correspondence.

Biographical / Historical

Carol Neblett (1946-2017) was a world-renowned American operatic soprano whose career spanned more than forty years. She was born in Modesto, California on February 1, 1946 and raised in Redondo Beach, California. Neblett attended classes at University of California at Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and El Camino College. At nineteen, she made her professional debut at Carnegie Hall in New York singing Handel's Esther and shortly after she sang the role of the Angel in Ottorino Respighi's Laud to the Nativity at the Los Angeles Music Center.
Neblett went on to appear around the world in major roles with opera companies in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Salzburg, and Hamburg, as well as the Royal Opera in Covent Garden, London. Throughout her career, she sang leading and prominent roles in La Bohème, Manon Lescaut, Louise, Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro, Faust, and Tosca, among others. She also made countless recordings.
Neblett notably sang in Tosca in 1976 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with Luciano Pavarotti. Another highlight of Neblett's career was singing the part of Minnie in La Fanciulla del West with Plácido Domingo in 1977 for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee celebration in Covent Garden. She made her Metropolitan Opera (Met) debut in 1979 as Senta in The Flying Dutchman and continued to sing with the Met until 1993. In Neblett's varied career, she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and on a televised tribute to George London at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
In the academic world, Neblett was associate director of Opera Chapman, as well as artist-in-residence and a faculty member of the Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music in Chapman University's College of Performing Arts in Orange, CA. She also conducted master classes for young artist programs across the United States.
Neblett studied under several prestiguious teachers and coaches, such as Lotte Lehmann, George London, Rosa Ponselle, Alice Ehlers, Esther Andreas and Jascha Heifetz, who was her musical mentor and friend for more than 30 years.
In her personal life, Neblett was involved with the National Association of the Teachers of Singing (NATS) and performed in charity concerts for causes including AIDS and homeless mothers. She was married and divorced three times. Carol Neblett passed away on November 23, 2017 and was survived by a son, Stefan Schermerhorn and a daughter, Adrienne Akre Spear. She was predeceased by daughter Marianne Akre.

Preferred Citation

[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Carol Neblett papers (2019.012.s.r), Frank Mt. Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives, Chapman University, CA. For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Processing Information

Processed by Annie Tang and Claudia Horn in November 2019. Biographical note written by Horn. Last updated by Victoria Perez as of February 2023.
Files were left predominantly in Neblett's original organization.

Scope and Contents

This collection includes a select number of Neblett's professional files: correspondence, business papers, season schedules, materials regarding the Opera Chapman program, her curriculum vitae (resume), TV appearance materials, papers regarding recordings, newspaper clippings of her in reviews and features, performance programs, and audio recordings of her performances.

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.

Bibliography

Cariaga, Daniel. "From Budding Violinist to Operatic Diva: American Soprano Carol Neblett Sings Her First Aida Tonight." Los Angeles Times, January 29, 1988. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-29-ca-26449-story.html.
Chapman University, College of Performing Arts. "Meet Artist-in-Residence Carol Neblett." January 31, 2012. https://blogs.chapman.edu/copa/2012/01/31/meet-artist-in-residence-carol-neblett/.
Chapman University, College of Performing Arts. "Passing of Artist-in-Residence Carol Neblett." November 28, 2017. https://blogs.chapman.edu/copa/2017/11/28/passing-of-artist-in-residence-carol-neblett/.
Royal Opera House. "Carol Neblett, Performance Database Search." Accessed January 31, 2023. https://rohcollections.org.uk/SearchResults.aspx?searchtype=performance&performance=17170&person=carol%20neblett.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Chapman University -- Colleges and Schools -- Conservatory of Music
Opera
Schermerhorn, Stefan
Neblett, Carol

 

Series 1, Correspondence 1971-2012

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Correspondence includes letters with colleagues, fan mail (adults and children), Columbia Artists Management, Inc., known as CAMI, and lastly business communications that span from 1971 to 2012.
document-box 1, folder 1

Opera colleagues 1971-2002

Scope and Contents

This file includes correspondence between Neblett and her opera colleagues.

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Albersheim, Gerhard
  • Audreas, Esther
  • Corinne, Dick and Family
  • Corsaro, Frank
  • Dean, Ben
  • Elias, Rosalind
  • Kneedler, Edgar M.
  • Koldofsky, Gwendolyn
  • Korngold, George
  • Krainik, Ardis
  • Levine, James
  • London, George
  • London, Nora
  • McFarland, Robert
  • Millard, Shirley
  • Milnes, Sherrill
  • "Nedra" (no last name)
  • Rachold, Bernd C.
  • Roberts, Leona
  • Rosen, Frances
  • Rudel, Julius
  • Sills, Beverly
  • Staples, Maurice
  • Stevens, Rise
  • Troyanos, Tatiana
  • Volpe, Joseph
  • Wicknick, Fred
  • Wilson, Avice R.
  • Wise, Patricia
  • "X" (Anonymous)

Neblett to correspondents:

  • Blatas, Regina Resnik
  • Guttman, Irving
  • Krainik, Ardis
  • Levine, James
  • "Michael" (no last name)
  • Sills, Beverly
  • Stevens, Rise
document-box 1, folder 2

Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (CAMI) 1976-1995

Scope and Contents

This file contains Neblett's correspondence regarding her business connections with Columbia Artists Management, Inc. (CAMI).

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Allen, Katherine (Kathy) H.
  • Breslin, Herbert H.
  • Bucher, Pamela
  • Epstein, Matthew A.
  • Foster, David V.
  • Funkhouser, Neil
  • Holland, Donna
  • Mayer, Janice
  • Miller, Gary W.
  • Munro, Connie
  • Parden, Carol
  • Rause, Audrey
  • Sorensen, Rodney
  • Tonkin, Maria
  • Tormey, John P.
  • Zigman, Anita

Neblett to correspondents:

  • Allen Katherine (Kathy) H.
  • Breslin, Herbert
  • Epstein, Matthew A.
  • Foster, David V.
document-box 1, folder 3

Fan mail 1981-1995

Scope and Contents

This file contains fan mail sent to Neblett.

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Abrams, Paul
  • Anderson, Lillian
  • Birnbaum, Eileen Shelle
  • Bottom, Frank
  • Bream, Lillie West
  • Bryant, Michael
  • Dussault, Marc
  • Fenton, Ruth
  • Ford, Nancy
  • Forsyth, Earline
  • Hayes, Celie
  • Hazan, Oliver
  • Holloway, Arthur
  • Horchner, Fritz
  • Klug, Kendall
  • Livingston, Mrs. Richard Livingston (Meg or Mary?)
  • Machiels, Myriam
  • Olafson, Christopher A.
  • Revenna, Minnie
  • Rivera, Valerie
  • Sands, Audrey Lee
  • Zoblotsky, Linda
document-box 1, folder 4

"Neblett correspondence" 1983-1993

Scope and Contents

This file contains multiple correspondents, including Carol Neblett and former husband Philip R. Akre, M.D.

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Booth, William
  • Deacon, John
  • Korngold, George
  • Tolansky, Jon

Neblett to correspondents:

  • "Dad" (possibly father)
  • Deacon, John
  • Jon (Tolansky?)

Dr. Akre to correspondents:

  • Deacon, John G.
  • Korngold, George

Correspondendents to Dr. Akre:

  • Deacon, John

Correspondents to correspondents:

  • Deacon, Jon to Tolansky, Jon
  • Booth, William to Tolansky, Jon
  • Tolansky, Jon to Deacon, Jon
  • Tolansky, Jon to Hyatt, Fred
document-box 1, folder 5

Children fan mail 1991-1994

Scope and Contents

This file contains children's paintings, drawings, and letters sent to Carol Neblett.

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Barker, Heather
  • Barberra, Chris
  • Barker, Heather
  • Benzian, Barry
  • Brooks, B.J.
  • Christiansen, Mary Anna
  • Cornett, Ali
  • Dampier, Ryan
  • Day, Iris
  • Ebbert, Kelly
  • Falletta, Natalie
  • Farnham, Jenni
  • Fusco, Travis
  • Jones, Courtney
  • Kiel, Courtney
  • Kinzel, Gina
  • McClelland, Robbie
  • Neblett, Marianne
  • Obahi Taraneh M.
  • Phillippe, Katie
  • Phillips, Colin
  • Renker, Stephanie
  • Roccoforter, Mrs.
  • Seo, Kevin
  • Simmons, Andy
  • Tabor, Brandy
  • Tase, Stephanie
  • Wilson, Shaylin
  • Worthington, Rhodes
  • "Angela Z"
  • "Angie"
  • "Bailey"
  • "Beth W."
  • "Blair"
  • "Brittany"
  • "Danielle"
  • "Dillon"
  • "Emily"
  • "Eric"
  • "Greg"
  • "Jenni F."
  • "John"
  • "Jon"
  • "Kamee"
  • "Kelley"
  • "Kelly"
  • "Kimberly"
  • "Marie"
  • "Marilyn R."
  • "Mark"
  • "Paul C."
  • "Paul D."
  • "Peter"
  • "Rodrigo"
  • "Sydney"
  • "Travis"
  • "William"
document-box 1, folder 6

Business correspondence 1979-2012

Scope and Contents

This file contains additional business correspondence, including items sent to Carol Neblett and her former husband Philip R. Akre, M.D.

Correspondents to Neblett:

  • Campbell, Ian D.
  • Crawford, Bruce
  • Losito, Steven J.
  • Pérez Borjas, Elías
  • Stayer, Lawrence F.

Correspondents to Dr. Akre:

  • Foster, David V.

Dr. Akre to correspondents:

  • Foster, David V.

Correspondents to correspondents:

  • Rause, Audrey to Losito, Steven J.
document-box 1, folder 7, document-box 2

Series 2, Project files 1954-2017

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

Project files in this series span from 1954 to 2017 and include Neblett's typewritten biographical note, curriculum vitae (resume), season schedules, business contracts, and repertoire notes about songs, operas, and orchestral pieces. It also contains business papers regarding her recordings for La Bohème, Die Tote Stadt, and La Fanciulla del West.
This series notably includes material about her appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and in the Follies musical.
document-box 3, document-box 4, document-box 5, document-box 6, document-box 7

Series 3, Ephemera 1962-2016

Language of Material: A majority of the programs in this series are in English. Exceptions are some items in Spanish, German, French, or Italian and several items with English-translated opera texts also printed in their original German or Italian.

Scope and Contents

This series contains ephemera related to Neblett's performances from her high school and college years in the 1960s and throughout her international career until 2016. Ephemera includes performance review and feature article clippings, as well as performance programs. Many programs are printed in official publications of orchestras or opera companies that Neblett performed with. A few are for performances only attended by Neblett. Some of the programs have marginalia or post-it note annotations written by Neblett or her children. Annotations typically mark where Neblett is listed in the program, describe a production, note performance dates, or note additional career information.

The following are organizations, venues, events, and/or publication titles listed on the programs:

  • Torrance Junior Youth Symphony
  • Redondo Union High School Fine Arts Festival
  • University of Southern California, Idyllwild Arts Foundation
  • The Southern California Choral Music Association, Pavilion
  • Los Angeles Master Chorale
  • Southern California Symphony-Hollywood Bowl Association, Hollywood Bowl Magazine
  • Young Musicians Foundation
  • The Roger Wagner Chorale
  • Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, The Civicgoer edition of Symphony Magazine
  • Euterpe Opera Club of Los Angeles
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Bing Concert
  • Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Performing Arts
  • San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association
  • California State College, Los Angeles
  • Victoria Symphony Orchestra
  • New York City Opera, Lincoln Center, New York State Theater Magazine
  • The Redlands Winter Concert Association
  • Baltimore Opera Company, Inc.
  • The Claremont College Artist Course
  • New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra
  • Performing Arts, The Music Center Monthly
  • Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company
  • Florentine Opera Company
  • Performing Arts, The Music and Theater Magazine
  • El Camino College
  • University of Southern California, School of Music
  • San Bernardino Valley Concert Association
  • Fort Worth Opera Association
  • New Orleans Opera
  • Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
  • Philadelphia Grand Opera Company
  • The Washington Opera
  • Metropolitan Opera, Stagebill
  • San Francisco Symphony Magazine
  • San Francisco Opera Magazine
  • Greater Miami Opera
  • Seattle Opera, Encore
  • The Cincinnati Opera
  • Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London
  • Lyric Opera of Chicago
  • Pittsburgh Opera
  • Dallas Civic Music Association
  • Edmonton Opera
  • Community Concerts Association of Baton Rouge
  • Gran Teatre Del Liceu, Barcelona
  • Southern California's Tribute to the Governor
  • Music Teachers National Convention
  • Greater Miami Opera
  • Denver Symphony Orchestra
  • The Jane Hardester Singers Gala Concert
  • Metropolitan Opera National Council Western Regional Auditions
  • National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc.
  • Concert Opera Association
  • Opera/Columbus
  • First Presbyterian Church Concert Series
  • Lotte Lehmann Centennial Symposium
  • Orange County Performing Arts Center, Performing Arts
  • Temporada de Opera
  • Opera de Nice
  • Opera Hamilton
  • Chamber Music/LA Festival, A Tribute to Jascha Heifetz
  • San Diego Opera
  • Opera Pacific
  • Opera Peninsula
  • Lamb's Players Theatre
  • Santa Barbara Grand Opera
  • Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center
  • Indiana University School of Music, Guest Recital
  • Garden State Arts Center
  • The French Foundation for Alzheimer Research
  • Chatauqua Symphony Orchestra
  • Festival International de Lanaudière
  • Funeral Liturgy for Dr. Roger Wagner, St. Charles Borromeo Church
  • San Diego Opera Association, San Diego Symphony Association
  • Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston
  • Charleston Symphony Orchestra
  • DGOS Opera Ireland, Dublin Grand Opera Society
  • Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, Coronado, CA
  • San Diego Men's Chorus
  • Niedersächsische Staatsoper Hannover, Hanover State Theatre of Lower Saxony, Germany
  • Los Angeles Music Center Opera
  • 54 degrees Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Comunale di Firenze
  • Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
  • Music Center of Los Angeles County, Performing Arts
  • Opera Guild of Southern California
  • Palm Springs Opera Guild
  • Santa Barbara Grand Opera
  • Casa Del Prado Theater
  • Loren L. Zachary Society for the Performing Arts
  • Funeral service for Dr. H. E. Chevalier Hans von Leden
  • The Artist Series at L'Elegance, Sarasota, Florida
  • Toscano Opera Festival, San Gimignano, Italy
  • Chapman University School of Music Faculty in recital
  • Center Theater Group, LA's Theater Company, Ahmanson Theatre Performances
  • San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Vienna: City of Dreams
  • Shumei Arts Council of America, Inc., Pasadena, CA
  • Peninsula Symphony Orchestra
flat-box 8

Series 4, Audio recordings of performances 1972-1995

Language of Material: The items in this series are recordings of Italian, German, or French operas and are likely sung in those languages.

Conditions Governing Access

Users may listen to and access audio cassette tapes in the Reading Room of Special Collections & Archives. Please contact Special Collections & Archives for more information regarding access.

Scope and Contents

This series contains unofficial recordings on 26 cassette tapes of whole performances or excerpts of operas featuring Neblett from 1972 to 1995. Most recordings are no longer publicly available.

Cassette tapes inventory:

  • 1) Tosca - Lyric Opera of Chicago - 11/26/76 - with Neblett, Pavarotti, MacNeil, Lopez-Cobos - 2 cassettes
  • 2) Tosca - cassette 1: Metropolitan Opera - 3/25/80 - with Giacomini, Neblett, Manuguerra, Santi; cassette 2: Acts I, III - 5/23/? - with Neblett, Domingo, Carolli? - 2 cassettes
  • 3) Tosca - Metropolitan Opera - 12/5/81 - with Neblett, Carreras, Milnes, Santi - 2 cassettes
  • 4) Tosca - Nice Opera - 3/24/94, 3/26/94 - Neblett - 3 cassettes
  • 5) Tosca - San Carlo, Naples - 6/18/87 - with Neblett, Bartolini, Carroli - 1 cassette
  • 6) Mefistofele - Royal Festival Hall, London Symphony - 5/25/72 - with Siepi, Carreras, Neblett, Guadagno - 1 cassette
  • 7) Thais - New Orleans Opera – Act II - 4/14/73 - with Neblett, Robert Johnson, Julian Patrick, Knud Anderson - 1 cassette
  • 8) Mefistofele - New York City Opera - 5/2/72 - Act III, IV on side A - with Siepi, Carreras, Neblett, Guadagno; side B - Thais - Act I - New Orleans Opera - 4/14/73 - with Neblett, Johnson, Patrick - 1 cassette
  • 9) La Fanciulla del West - Houston Grand Opera - 4/9/76 - with Neblett, MacNeil, Buckley - 1 cassette
  • 10) La Fanciulla del West - Metropolitan Opera - 3/15/93 - with Neblett, Martinucci, Milnes, Badea - 2 cassettes
  • 11) La Fanciulla del West - BBC 3 - 1/1978 - with Neblett, Domingo, Mehta - 2 cassettes
  • 12) La Fanciulla del West - Lyric Opera of Chicago - 9/22/78 - Neblett - 2 cassettes
  • 13) Rigoletto - LA Master Chorale - 9/9/72 - with Neblett, Carreras, Quilico, Levine – also Rigoletto excerpts - Minnesota Opera - 4/28/95 - Philip Kraus – 1 cassette
  • 14) Die Tote Stadt - New York City Opera - 4/4/75 - with Neblett, D. Cossa, J. Alexander, Imre Palló - also Das Wunder der Heliane Act III – Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra – no date – John Mauceri - 1 cassette
  • 15) cassette 1: case labeled Un Ballo in Maschera Act I - tape labeled Tosca/Opera Pacific Act I, II; cassette 2: Un Ballo in Maschera - Metropolitan Opera - 2/19/83 – with Neblett, Bergonzi, Nucci, Peters, Serini, Guadagno - also has Mefistofele excerpts - San Francisco Opera - 12/6/94 - with Neblett, Racette, R. Margison, Ramey, Rudel - 2 cassettes
  • 16) Falstaff - Metropolitan Opera Broadcast - 3/8/86 – with Taddei, Neblett, Cossotto, Levine - 2 cassettes

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright likely belongs to the production companies that put on the opera performances. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.