30 Facts About Mildred Dilling

Mildred Dilling first started performing in 1911, and traveled over 30,000 miles per year at her busiest.

Mildred Dilling performed with many notable vocalists, had her own weekly NBC radio show, and appeared on the Bing Crosby radio show.

Mildred Dilling toured Europe and Asia multiple times, and often performed internationally.

Mildred Dilling enthusiastically championed the harp and gave many celebrities their first harp lesson, including Harpo Marx.

Mildred Dilling devised a lever system for a non-pedal harp that made it more portable than a pedal harp but which allowed flexibility in harp tuning.

Freel married Frank Dilling and Mildred was born on February 23,1894, in Marion, Indiana.

Mildred Dilling's instructor was Samuel Nussbaum at the Marion Conservatory of Music.

The family moved to Indianapolis, where Mildred Dilling studied harp with Louise Schellschmidt at age 12.

Mildred Dilling played for the Central Presbyterian Church's services, where she earned money to pay for her and Charlene's musical studies.

Mildred Dilling studied with Ada Sassoli and had lessons from Carl Scheutze and Carlos Salzedo.

In 1922 Mildred Dilling took five pupils with her to France.

Mildred Dilling performed with noted vocalists Alma Gluck, Frances Alda, Yvette Guilbert, Nelson Eddy, and brothers Edouard de Reszke and Jean de Reszke.

Mildred Dilling played with Charles Wagner's Community Concert Series over 2000 times.

Mildred Dilling held a weekly radio show on the NBC network every Sunday before the New York Philharmonic concert.

For more than thirty years, Mildred Dilling taught Harpo Marx, a self-taught harpist who wanted to learn the proper techniques.

Mildred Dilling was the first solo harpist to broadcast in Ireland.

Mildred Dilling played with NBC's afternoon Chamber Music Series, performing every work then available for harp and string quartet.

Mildred Dilling performed at the White House seven times for five different presidents.

Mildred Dilling gave a recital for UNESCO in Paris in October 1968.

Mildred Dilling was one of the founders of the American Harp Society in 1962 and served as a judge in many of its national student contests.

Mildred Dilling frequently served as a judge for the Ruth Lorraine Close Awards.

Mildred Dilling held masterclasses in London whenever her touring schedule allowed it.

Mildred Dilling kept her harp that belonged to Evangeline Booth at home because it was too delicate to transport; it now resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mildred Dilling owned a harp that once belonged to Marie Antoinette.

Mildred Dilling's Celtic Single Action Harp, Dilling Model, is a non-pedal harp with seven levers on the top that control the tuning of each note in a scale individually.

Mildred Dilling used this kind of harp on her first European tour.

Mildred Dilling was a follower of Christian Science, and as such did not drink or serve alcohol.

Mildred Dilling once asked for a wheelchair in her travels in order to avoid carrying heavy luggage.

Mildred Dilling married banker Clinton Parker in 1943; Parker died in 1948.

Mildred Dilling once told a harpist with an infected finger and an upcoming harp concerto to perform: "Read the one hundred and twenty-first Psalm, and go on".