Ann Rivière was born in London, England, daughter of a singing master. Her father was descended from a
Huguenot family that had fled to England in the 17th century. She studied piano under
Ignaz Moscheles, and then studied voice at the
Royal Academy of Music under
Henry Bishop. She made her debut at the Ancient Concerts in London in April 1831. Bishop's wife Sarah (née Lyon) died in June 1831, and Ann Rivière married him a month later, on 9 July; she was 21 and he 44. She was thereafter known professionally as
Anna Bishop. They had three children: Rose (born 4 February 1833) and twins Augustus and Johanna (born 9 November 1837). That year she toured the provinces, Scotland and Ireland with the French harpist
Nicolas-Charles Bochsa, who had played for
Napoleon I; shortly after their return to London, she abandoned her husband and in August took up with Bochsa, who was also 20 years her senior. Bishop built a reputation as one of the finest operatic sopranos of her day. In New York, she competed with
Jenny Lind and
Adelina Patti. On 1 November 1852, in New York she sang in the United States premiere of Flotow's
Martha. then returned to South America (Chile, Argentina, Brazil). Her husband was knighted as Sir Henry Bishop, making Anna formally Lady Bishop, despite their estrangement. He died in 1855, having never agreed to a divorce. In 1858, in New York she married Martin Schulz, a diamond merchant. She appeared in England again, the previous scandal having been forgotten; she gave a farewell concert on 17 August 1859. After a period of recovery, she resumed her world tour, singing in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Ceylon, New Zealand, and Australia and London once again, before returning to New York. On 22 September 2025, a gravestone was placed on her burial site by Historic Red Hook. ==Svengali and Trilby==