Henriette von Pereira-Arnstein
Henriette von Pereira-Arnstein (29 November 1780 – 13 May 1859) was an Austrian pianist and a well-known salon-host in Vienna. She was born in Berlin, the daughter of Nathan von Arnstein and Fanny von Arnstein, who ran an influential salon that attracted artists, musicians, diplomats and politicians.
She studied piano at home with Muzio Clementi and Johann Andreas Streicher. After her mother died in 1818, Henriette kept the family salon going on Fridays, with music where she often played the piano. Guests included Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Liszt, along with poets like Franz Grillparzer, Theodor Körner and Clemens Brentano. She became good friends with Theodor Körner, who wrote the song cycle Leier und Schwert for her. She was active in charity work and served as director of the Marienspital in Baden bei Wien.
In 1802 she married banker Baron Heinrich Freiherr von Pereira. They had three sons and a daughter. Their son Ludwig von Pereira-Arnstein (1803–1858) became a banker and a director of the state railway, and had a Vienna palace built by Ludwig Förster. Henriette von Pereira-Arnstein died in Vienna on 13 May 1859.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:27 (CET).