Elise Filipowicz, (also: Elizabeth) née Mayer, was born in Rastadt in 1794. At the age of only eleven, she was given violin tuition by Louis Spohr, to whom she remained closely attached for the rest of her life, in Gotha. Now going by the name of Minelli, the surname of her first husband, she gave concerts in Germany and in Poland, where she settled after his death. She worked there for the family of Count Starzenski. Her second marriage was to a Lithuanian nobleman by the name of Filipowicz, by whom she had a daughter.
In the course of the Polish Revolution, her husband joined the army in 1831 and Elise Filipowicz and her daughter went to live in Paris. There she earned her living by giving concerts, teaching and »accompanying ladies who play the piano« (letter to Louis Spohr of 2 June 1833). In the meantime her daughter completed her education as, among other things,
a harpist. In 1835 the family moved to London. In a letter to Louis Spohr written on 20 October 1837,the violinist and composer describes her life in London: “We are now quite settled in London. I give lessons in German, French and Italian, accompany ladies who play the piano or the harp on the violin and, during the season, I usually perform a proper concert. My husband copies and transcribes music and my daughter is a governess with a family in the country and earns 150 guineas a year. This is your doing, dear Mister Spohr, as it was through my talent that I was able to afford the best teachers for her. She in turn now teaches German, French, Italian, piano, harp, singing, drawing and painting, in addition to other sciences.”
Elise Filipowicz died in 1841. She left numerous compositions for violin and pianoforte, as well as the »Warsovienne« for solo violin and orchestra.
