Yvonne Arnaud

Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1892 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress. Germaine Yvonne Arnaud was born in 1892. From 1905 (at age 12) to 1911 she performed with leading orchestras throughout Europe and America. In 1911 she decided to try the stage instead of the concert hall and obtained the lead role in the musical The Girl in the Taxi. However, an operation damaged her vocal cords so she switched to acting on stage.... more

Yvonne Arnaud (20 December 1892 – 20 September 1958) was a French-born pianist, singer and actress. Germaine Yvonne Arnaud was born in 1892. From 1905 (at age 12) to 1911 she performed with leading orchestras throughout Europe and America. In 1911 she decided to try the stage instead of the concert hall and obtained the lead role in the musical The Girl in the Taxi. However, an operation damaged her vocal cords so she switched to acting on stage. Her stage career lasted many years, with several films made during the 1930s. Arnaud's likeness was drawn in caricature by Alex Gard for Sardi's, the New York City theater district restaurant. The picture is now part of the collection of the New York Public Library. For many years she lived in Guildford, England, where she died. Her ashes were scattered in St. Martha's churchyard on St. Martha's Hill just south-east of Guildford, and there is a memorial to her on the church grounds. In 1965 the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre was opened in the town. less