Adelaide Kemble

British actress
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Quick Facts
Born:
1814?, London
Died:
Aug. 4, 1879, Warsash House, Hampshire, Eng.
Notable Family Members:
father Charles Kemble
mother Maria Theresa Kemble

Adelaide Kemble (born 1814?, London—died Aug. 4, 1879, Warsash House, Hampshire, Eng.) was a celebrated singer and member of the famous theatrical family Kemble.

Born to Charles and Maria Theresa Kemble, Adelaide turned her interests to music instead of acting and sang professionally from 1835 to 1842. She studied in Italy and was a brilliant success in her operatic debut as Norma in Venice. She toured the Continent and appeared in England in concert and opera to consistently great acclaim. She withdrew from the stage with a brief speech after a concert in 1842, married John Sartoris, and never again appeared in public. Her fame lingered, reinforced by private performances she gave from time to time for friends.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.