Louise Dieterle Nippert
Louise Dieterle Nippert’s Centennial Birthday was in August, 2011. She celebrated her 100th year with the same devotion she gave to support music organizations in Cincinnati, including her love for Matinée Musicale.
Mrs. Nippert and Matinée Musicale Artistic Director Nancy Walker at Mrs. Nippert’s yearly luncheon for our Matinée Musicale membership at her lovely home at Greenacres.
Her love of music began early in her life. She studied voice with CCM faculty member Thomas James Kelly, and later endowed the dean’s chair at the school in his memory. She became an accomplished vocalist and sang the National Anthem at a Reds Baseball Game!
Mrs. Nippert singing the National Anthem at a Reds Baseball Game.
One of her greatest pleasures and a high point of her life was when she sang the soprano solo with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at the end of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 under Thor Johnson in 1957.
Her continued presence and support of music is seen in her much appreciated donations to many organizations throughout the Cincinnati area such as Matinée Musicale Cincinnati. She and her husband Louis Nippert established the L & L Nippert Charitable Foundation in 1981 and the Greenacres Foundation in 1988. The L & L Foundation was established in order to provide support for charitable activities deemed worthy of financial assistance by the Trustees. The Foundation provides grants on areas that Mr. and Mrs. Nippert have supported in the past, which includes local cultural arts, education, environment and health.
Greenacres Farm was purchased by the Nipperts in 1949. To preserve the land for the education and enjoyment of future generations small classes are offered, especially for children, to study nature, music, and art in a natural and aesthetic environment.
She was a subscriber to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for more than 70 years. Those who attended the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pops concerts, Ballet and Opera were able see her regularly in her box seating area. Among many celebrations during her centennial birthday month the entire Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra led the audience in a rousing Happy Birthday. She and her husband endowed the music director chair of the CSO when held by Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Pops conductor chair held for many years by the late Erich Kunzel.
Louise Dieterle Nippert started the Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund at the Greenacres Foundation. The greater Cincinnati area is highly honored to receive her donation of an $85 million fund to continue her promotion of quality classical music in support of such organization as the Cincinnati Symphony, Ballet, Opera, Linton Series of Concerts and Matinee Musicale Cincinnati.
On the campus of the University of Cincinnati College Consevatory of Music the Dieterle Vocal Arts Center opened in 1995 consisting of the voice, opera, choral and accompanying departments, and the Nippert Rehearsal Studio. In 1988 the Nipperts formed the Greenacres Foundation to reflect their interests in sustainable agriculture, the environment and cultural arts by providing educational opportunities for children of all ages. She said, “All my life I’ve loved music. I want to see the orchestra healthy for its next century. This is something I do gladly.”
As she was about to begin her second century, Mrs. Nippert was honored as the recipient of the Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio May 9, 2012 in Columbus. She passed away on Monday, July 22, 2012, and Matinée Musicale dedicated our 100th Anniversary Season to her to honor her memory.
We continue to honor her. Thanks to her generous support of our organization throughout our history, we were able to build an outstanding legacy of performances by presenting concert artists in their early years who later became world renown.
Louise Nippert in 2011.
