Among other European ladies who have made their mark as violinists, and whose stars are in the ascendant, may be mentioned Sophie Jaffe, who has been called the greatest of all women violinists, and Frida Scotta.

Although many years behind the continent of Europe in musical life, and with a musical atmosphere not nearly as dense as that found in almost any village of Italy, France, or Germany, America has contributed to the musical world many shining lights during the past few years.  Mlle. Urso has been claimed as an American violinist, though she was born in Europe and was a good violinist before she reached these shores, but in 1864, in New York, Anna Senkrah was born, who for a few years rivalled Teresina Tua.

The real name of Arma Senkrah was Harkness, which for professional purposes she “turned end for end,” as the sailors would say, and dropped an “s.”  After Miss Harkness had been taught the elements of music by her mother, she went to Brussels to study under Wieniawski, and then to Paris, where she became a pupil of Massart She is said also to have taken lessons of Vieuxtemps and of Arno Hilf.

In 1881 she won the first prize at the Paris Conservatoire, a feat which always stamps the winner “artist.”  From 1877 to 1880 Arma Senkrah travelled a great deal throughout Europe, and in 1882 she played, under her proper name, at the Crystal Palace, London.  She was created, at Weimar, a chamber virtuoso, by the grand duke.  Here she met and shortly afterwards married a lawyer named Hoffman, and disappeared from the concert platform.

New York has contributed other stars to the violin firmament, for Nettie Carpenter and Geraldine Morgan are names which have become well known.

Miss Carpenter went abroad at an early age, though not until she had appeared in concerts in her native city, and created considerable interest.

On going to Paris, she was successful in passing the entrance examinations for the Conservatoire, and in 1884 won the first prize for violin playing.  In 1882 she appeared in London at the promenade concerts, and again in 1884, when she confirmed the reputation which she had made two years previously, at the same concerts.  From that time on she went through the usual routine of the concert violinist, with considerable success.

In 1894 she married Leo Stern, the violoncello player, but the union did not continue for long, Mr. Stern becoming about four years later the husband of Miss Suzanne Adams, the opera singer.

Miss Geraldine Morgan is the daughter of John P. Morgan, who was for some years organist of Old Trinity Church, New York.  She studied in her native city under Leopold Damrosch, besides which she received much instruction from her father.  Then she went to Leipzig, where she studied with Schradieck, after which she was the pupil in Berlin of Joachim, under whose guidance she remained eight years.  She was the first American who ever gained the Mendelssohn prize.