Dorothea Christine Nielson[1] born in Madison, Wisconsin, June 10, 1866.

[1] Both parents were among the early Scandinavian immigrants to the U.S. and settled in Chicago in 1851, afterward removing to Madison.

Neilson began to sing in public at the age of thirteen, attracting, at an orphan's home concert in Madison, the attention of those whose foresight discovered future fame for the young vocalist.

During the World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893),[5] she sang in oratorios, notably Mendelssohn's Elijah, with Lillian Nordica.

[3] Dreier served as president of the Lake View Musical Society, Chicago.

[2] Christine Nielson Dreier died at Augustana Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, May 15, 1926,[3][8] after undergoing an operation a few days earlier.