author
Sara Chapman Thorp Bull
1850–1911
An American writer, patron of music, and generous supporter of spiritual and intellectual life, she moved easily between concert halls, salons, and reform circles. Best remembered as the wife of violinist Ole Bull and a close supporter of Swami Vivekananda, she helped connect artists, scholars, and seekers on both sides of the Atlantic.
1 Audiobook
Ole Bull: A Memoir
by Sara Chapman Thorp Bull
About the author
Born in Oxford, New York, in 1850 and raised in Wisconsin, she grew up in a prosperous family and became known for her intelligence, musical ability, and wide social circle. In 1870 she married the celebrated Norwegian violinist Ole Bull, and her life soon became closely tied to the world of performance, travel, and cultural exchange.
After her husband's death, she emerged even more clearly as a writer, hostess, and philanthropist in her own right. Her homes became meeting places for musicians, thinkers, and public figures, and she developed a reputation for encouraging serious conversation as well as artistic work.
She is also remembered for her friendship with and support of Swami Vivekananda, whose work she helped promote in the United States. By the time of her death in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1911, she had built a life that linked music, literature, religion, and public generosity in a way that still makes her an intriguing figure today.