Dr. Frances Holden (1899 – August 10, 1996) who was Lotte Lehmann’s companion from 1938 until her death in 1976. Holden, an assistant professor of psychology at New York University, had been in the audience the evening of Lehmann's first New York Town Hall recital. When Knapp's Castle was destroyed by a fire, Holden purchased another home in Santa Barbara with six acres above the ocean in Hope Ranch with a Pacific view, which they named Orplid, after the dream-island in "Gesang Weylas" by Hugo Wolf.

Frances offers Lotte suggestions in her painting

Lotte and Frances and some of their dogs

Knapp's Castle

Frances Holden studied the psychology of genius, particularly that of classical musicians. A native of New York City, she was educated at Smith College and Columbia University. Holden was the first woman appointed to the psychology faculty at New York University, where she taught for 12 years. During her research, she befriended German soprano Lotte Lehmann. After Lehmann was widowed in 1939, the soprano shared Holden’s Santa Barbara home until her death in 1976. The two women christened the home Orplid for a dream island retreat described in “Gesang Weylas” by Hugo Wolf. They played host to internationally celebrated musicians including Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Thomas Mann, Rise Stevens, Dame Judith Anderson and Marilyn Horne.

Holden was a major fund-raiser for the UC Santa Barbara Library and was active in the Music Academy of the West in Montecito.

My published books:

BACK TO HOME PAGE

• hhttps://lottelehmannleague.org/2011/holden/
• Lotte Lehmann: Artist Teacher Kathy Hinton Brown Conservatory of Music. University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1990