Edna White

Flora Edna White (October 23, 1892 – June 25, 1992), known professionally as Edna White and privately for much of her life as Edna White Chandler, was an American trumpet soloist, chamber musician, vaudeville performer, and composer. A child prodigy, White began her professional career as a soloist in 1901 at the age of eight and graduated from the Institute of Musical Art (which would later become the Juilliard School) in 1907. White, who switched from cornet to trumpet during her studies at the institute, was one of the first soloists to perform on trumpet rather than cornet.

White formed a number of all-female brass quartets, including the Aida Quartet, the Edna White Trumpeters (which also performed as the Edna White Quartet), the Liberty Belles, and the Tone Weavers. Billed as the "only woman solo trumpeter in the world," White toured nationally with her chamber ensembles and performed as a soloist in recitals, vaudeville acts, with concert bands, and with orchestras. In the 1920s White made solo recordings for Edison Records, and in the 1940s and 1950s she collaborated with composers Virgil Thomson and George Antheil. Her 1949 recital in Carnegie Hall was the first given there by a trumpeter.

After retiring from performance in 1957, White remained active as a composer and writer, completing an operetta, a suite for trumpet and orchestra, a trumpet method book, and a memoir, in addition to shorter songs and poems.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 23, 1892 (Stamford), Died June 25, 1992

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1927

Roles Represented in DAHR: trumpet, leader, arranger, cornet

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-18850 10-in. 12/14/1916 Té tév ounéi Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with orchestra arranger  
Victor B-18851 10-in. 12/14/1916 Haratch entanank Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with orchestra arranger  
Columbia 77688 10-in. 2/26/1918 Just a baby's prayer at twilight (for her daddy over there) Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 77689 10-in. 2/26/1918 Fancy you fancying me Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 77765 10-in. 4/11/1918 The old refrain Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 77766 10-in. 4/11/1918 Lullaby Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 77774 10-in. 4/17/1918 The lost chord Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 77789 10-in. 4/26/1918 Nearer, my God, to Thee Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 78020 10-in. 8/23/1918 Nearer, my God, to Thee Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 78458 10-in. 5/29/1919 O holy night Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 78468 10-in. 6/3/1919 O holy night Edna White Trumpet Quartette Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 78842 10-in. 12/4/1919 When you and I were young, Maggie Gloria Trumpeters [i.e., Edna White Trumpet Quartette] Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 78843 10-in. 12/5/1919 The sweetest story ever told Gloria Trumpeters [i.e., Edna White Trumpet Quartette] Trumpet quartet, with orchestra leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 79058 10-in. 3/19/1920 How sweet the moonlight Gloria Trumpeters Trumpet quartet, unaccompanied leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 79130 10-in. 4/19/1920 Coronation march Gloria Trumpeters Trumpet quartet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 79195 10-in. 5/20/1920 Come where the lilies bloom Gloria Trumpeters Trumpet quartet leader, instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 85090 10-in. approximately April 1919 Noël de Déliverance Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with trumpet and organ instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 85091 10-in. approximately April 1919 Tu renaîtras Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with trumpet and organ instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87007 10-in. approximately January 1921 Santa Maria Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with trumpet and orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87008 10-in. approximately January 1921 Ave Maria Edna White Trumpet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87009 10-in. approximately January 1921 Élégie Torcom Bézazian Male vocal solo, with trumpet and orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87143 10-in. approximately February 1921 Agnus Dei Edna White Trumpet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87515 10-in. approximately June 1921 International medley march, part 1 Howard Kopp ; Edna White Band, with trumpet and xylophone instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87516 10-in. approximately June 1921 International medley march, part 2 Howard Kopp ; Edna White Band, with trumpet and xylophone instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87517 10-in. either 1921 or 1922 International medley march Howard Kopp ; Edna White Band, with trumpet, xylophone, and bells instrumentalist, trumpet  
Columbia 87518 10-in. either 1921 or 1922 International medley march Howard Kopp ; Edna White Band, with trumpet, xylophone, and bells instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 7682 10-in. 12/15/1920 The debutante Edna White Cornet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, cornet  
Edison 7683 10-in. 12/15/1920 Recollections of 1861-65 Edna White Cornet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 7892 10-in. 4/6/1921 The blue bells of Scotland Edna White Trumpet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 7911 10-in. 4/13/1921 Agnus Dei Edna White Trumpet solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 7990 10-in. 5/16/1921 I know of two bright eyes Torcom Bézazian ; Robert Gayler ; Edna White Tenor vocal solo, with trumpet and piano instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 7991 10-in. 5/16/1921 Duna Torcom Bézazian ; Robert Gayler ; Edna White Tenor vocal solo, with trumpet and piano instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 10098 12-in. 2/18/1926 March sample record no. 4 Ernest Davis ; The Frolickers ; Metropolitan Entertainers ; Homer A. Rodeheaver ; Edna White Dubbed recordings instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 10233 10-in. 2/27/1925 Forgotten Torcom Bézazian ; Edna White Male vocal solo, with trumpet instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 10375 10-in. 5/15/1925 When you and I were young, Maggie Edna White Trumpet solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 11088 10-in. 7/6/1926 Then you'll remember me Edna White Trumpet solo, with orchestra instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 11192 10-in. 9/13/1926 Sweet Genevieve Edna White Trumpet solo instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 12011 10-in. 8/20/1926 Iolanthe : Selections Sodero's Band ; Edna White LP compilation : Instrumental instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 12033 12-in. Apr. 1927 Nola New York Military Band ; Toots Paka's Hawaiians ; Vincent Lopez Orchestra ; Edna White ; Wiedoeft-Wadsworth Quartet LP compilation : Instrumental instrumentalist, trumpet  
Edison 12039 12-in. May 1927 The whistler and his dog New York Military Band ; Toots Paka's Hawaiians ; Fred Van Eps ; Edna White ; Wiedoeft-Wadsworth Quartet LP compilation : Instrumental instrumentalist, trumpet  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "White, Edna," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107484.

White, Edna. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107484.

"White, Edna." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107484

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