Rebecca Clarke
Born:
Rebecca Clarke was born on August 27, 1886 to an upper middle-class family. Her father, Joseph Clarke, was American, and her mother was German.
Birthplace:
She was born in Harrow, a suburb of London, England
Died:
October 13, 1979 in New York
Also Known As:
Rebecca Clarke was a female composer of the early 20th century. She started out by playing the violin but later switched to viola. She was also a writer, teacher and lecturer.
Type of Works:
She is especially known for her chamber music; she also wrote songs and solo pieces. Her Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello placed second in the Chamber Music Competition in 1921. Her other known works include Rhapsody for Cello and Piano, "God Made A Tree," "The Tiger" and "The Seal Man." Many of her works remain unpublished.
Influence:
Clarke's early influence came from her father, a lover of music who is said to be abusive. Her teachers include Stanford and Tertis. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and later at the Royal College of Music. She left home in her early 20s after an argument with her father. She then pursued a career as a professional viola player in London and by the age of 25 was performing with the Queen's Hall Orchestra. Her performances took her to Europe, England, the United States and from 1912 to 1913, on a world tour. In 1919, Clarke submitted her sonata to the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival. The said composition tied with Bloch's suite for first place.
Coolidge, the founder of the festival, broke the tie and picked Bloch as the winner.
Interesting Facts:
Clarke was friends, and often performed with, the cellist May Mukle. She was also friends with Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the founder of the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival, and composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. She founded an all-female chamber group called the English Ensemble. In 1944, she married James Friskin, a composer and professor at Julliard. Aside from composing, she also worked as a nanny while she was in the U.S. She appeared on BBC, did recordings and hosted a radio show in New York.
Rebecca Clarke was born on August 27, 1886 to an upper middle-class family. Her father, Joseph Clarke, was American, and her mother was German.
Birthplace:
She was born in Harrow, a suburb of London, England
Died:
October 13, 1979 in New York
Also Known As:
Rebecca Clarke was a female composer of the early 20th century. She started out by playing the violin but later switched to viola. She was also a writer, teacher and lecturer.
Type of Works:
She is especially known for her chamber music; she also wrote songs and solo pieces. Her Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello placed second in the Chamber Music Competition in 1921. Her other known works include Rhapsody for Cello and Piano, "God Made A Tree," "The Tiger" and "The Seal Man." Many of her works remain unpublished.
Influence:
Clarke's early influence came from her father, a lover of music who is said to be abusive. Her teachers include Stanford and Tertis. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and later at the Royal College of Music. She left home in her early 20s after an argument with her father. She then pursued a career as a professional viola player in London and by the age of 25 was performing with the Queen's Hall Orchestra. Her performances took her to Europe, England, the United States and from 1912 to 1913, on a world tour. In 1919, Clarke submitted her sonata to the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival. The said composition tied with Bloch's suite for first place.
Coolidge, the founder of the festival, broke the tie and picked Bloch as the winner.
Interesting Facts: