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Spaltung The Great American Violinist A LBERT SPALDING, the Violinist, who has created a Sensation in Paris, Ber lin, Vienna and London by his mastery of the violin, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August' 15th, 1886. He received his musical education in New York, Florence and Paris. As a very young child he showed remarkable fondness for music. He would sit for hours listening to his mother, a fine singer and accomplished musician. At seven he asked for a violin, and quickly astonished his parents by his wonderful aptitude for the instrument. A three-quarter size Gallano was procured, and he commenced to study seriously with Chiti, of Florence (where his parents have a winter residence,) and during the summer months, which they spend in America, he continued his studies under Juan Buitrago in New York. Albert Spalding made his first appearance when ten years of age before the Duke and Duchess of Connaught. Professor Chiti became so impressed with the genius of the boy that, wishing for confirmation of his opinion, he suggested his charge should undergo the severe test of an examination for a professorship at Bologna Conservatoire. The committee of examination consisted of three violin Professors, two of the ’ceilo, and the principal of the Conservatoire. The boy secured forty-eight marks out of a possible fifty, and as the points required to pass were only thirty, it will readily be seen that young Spalding is phenomenally gifted. The Professors were astounded that one so young—he was only fourteen— should have come through the trying ordeal so triumphantly, unanimously declar- ing that he was the youngest on record to pass such an exacting examination. A search of the books revealed the fact that, one hundred and thirty-three years before, Mozart passed an examination for the piano at precisely the same age. The young musician next went to Paris and studied for two years with Lefort, where he made his Professional debut on June 6th, 1906, at the Nouveau Theatre, and later, at the invitation of Coquelin, appeared with Patti at the Chatelet, and at once achieved great success. His successes have been confined to no one country, no one city—the same eulogistic reports come from well nigh all the great music capitals of Europe.
