Biography
Yolanda Mero (aka Jolanda Mero; Hungarian spelling Mérő; later Mero-Irion) (30 August 1887 – 17 October 1963) was a Hungarian-American pianist, opera and theatre impresario, and philanthropist who supported destitute musicians.
Yolanda Mero was born into a Jewish family in Budapest to Salamon Mérő and Rozalia (née Pick). She began studying at the age of 8 at the National Conservatory with Augusta Rennebaum, a pupil of Franz Liszt. She made her debut at age 15 with the Dresden Philharmonic, then toured the world for four years. She moved to the United States in 1900, first appearing in New York in 1909, with the Russian Symphony Orchestra.
A week after arriving in New York, she met Hermann Irion, an executive of the Steinway Piano company, and married him only four weeks later, on 16 December 1909.
In the US she played concertos under the baton of Gustav Mahler, Leopold Stokowski and others. She later had a teaching post at her alma mater in Budapest.
Her verve and bravura, but also her wayward approach, were noted. In a review of her concert at New York's Aeolian Hall in January 1919, James Huneker wrote that "… she transformed Chopin preludes into veritable typhoons", and "… in the Barcarolle, instead of gondolas and the vows of lovers, moonlight and soft Adriatic zephyrs, we were shown a huge warship that steamed through the Grand Canal, sirens screaming, cannons booming, and a band playing Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt."
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