She was called “A force to be reckoned with,” and found success on the world stage, but Alma Mehus hadn’t fallen far from the tree.

On this date in 1934, the Dickinson Press reported the great success of one North Dakota woman’s musical career.

After years of study and practice, Alma Mehus kicked off a whirlwind tour of Europe with a raved about performance in New York on December 17, 1934. The young North Dakota pianist’s recital was enthusiastically received by audiences and critics in a state hundreds of miles away from the place where Alma began her studies. A reporter for the New York Evening Journal wrote that Alma played with “brilliant technique,” and this was only a glimpse of the positive reviews Miss Mehus would receive on her European tour.

Alma’s New York performance brought to light her previously little known skills as a musician and pianist. After delighting audiences in this eastern state, Alma and her husband, Leo Studness, set sail for Europe on December 22, 1934. Much like the globe trotting rockstars to follow her, Alma Mehus amazed audiences in many of Europe’s premier music centers, such as Amsterdam, Paris, and London.

Surprisingly, the young and talented Alma Mehus had not fallen far from the tree. Not only did she marry a home grown North Dakotan, but musical talent was also a popular trait in her family. Alma’s sister Belle Mehus spent her career playing and teaching piano around the world, later establishing a successful conservatory that would make her well known in Bismarck.
Armed with outstanding musical talent, the Mehus sisters left an impression on their home state while also sharing their music with the world.

Written By Ann Earling

Dickinson Press, January 4, 1934.

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