Jean Tennyson

Tennyson performing with Jan Peerce (left) and Robert Weede (right) on the CBS Radio program Great Moments in Music on October 13, 1942

Jean Tennyson (15 September 1898[n 1] – 16 March 1991), also known by her married names Jean Tennyson Dreyfus and Jean Tennyson Boissevain, was an American soprano, musical theatre actress, philanthropist, and radio personality. She began her career performing in musicals and cabaret shows in Chicago; making her stage debut in 1919. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Albert Von Tilzer's 1923 musical Adrienne; ultimately taking over the title role four months into the shows run and performing that part on tour in 1924. After starring in the Broadway musical revue The Earl Carroll Vanities in 1928 and 1929, her career shifted towards opera and work as a concert soprano. She was a leading soprano in operas and concerts internationally from the 1930s through the 1940s, performing on the stages of opera houses like La Scala, La Fenice, the Vienna Volksoper, the Chicago Civic Opera and the San Francisco Opera.

Tennyson's first marriage was to the Swiss chemist and founder of American Celanese Corporation Camille Dreyfus, whose company sponsored the 1940s CBS Radio program The Celanese Hour, better known as Great Moments in Music; a weekly program hosted by Tennyson from 1942 to 1946 which featured her interviewing and performing with notable musicians of the period. Following Dreyfus's death in 1956, Tennyson became the president of The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation through which she oversaw numerous philanthropic causes in the sciences. She also used her significant fortune to support arts organizations internationally, including the New York Philharmonic and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and aid in the artistic training and careers of young musicians. She was the recipient of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity and the St. Olav's Medal by the King of Norway. Her second marriage was to Ernest William Boissevain (1898–1984).[1]

  1. ^ a b "Jean Tennyson Dies; Singer and Patron, 86". The New York Times. March 19, 1991. p. D23. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Variety was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871–1949
  4. ^ National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 2507; Volume #: Roll 2507 – Certificates: 410850-411349, 7 May 1924 – 10 May 1924


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