Gavin Williamson (harpsichordist)
| Gavin Williamson | |
|---|---|
| Philip Manuel and Gavin Williamson
Philip Manuel and Gavin Williamson
|
|
| Born | 1897 Winnipeg, Canada |
| Died | 1989 (aged 92) Chicago, USA |
| Occupation | American pianist, harpsichordist, organist and music educator |
Gavin Williamson (Winnipeg, 1897 - Chicago, 1989) was an American pianist, harpsichordist, organist and music educator. With pianist Philip Manuel, he formed a duo in 1922 that helped promote the professional use of harpsichords in the United States.
Life and career
Gavin Williamson was born in Winnipeg, Canada. He studied music at the University of Chicago and was a Fellow of Oxford University studying with Artur Schnabel, Ethel Leginska and Theodor Leschetizky.
At the Cosmopolitan Conservatory, Williamson met Philip Manuel (1893–1959) and the two developed an interest in harpsichord as a concert instrument. At this time in the 1920s, there were fewer than 50 harpsichords in the United States, most located in museums.[1] The two men went to Paris in search of a builder, where they contracted with Pleyel et Cie to produce two instruments for their use.[2] With these instruments, they initiated concert tours of the United States, and also worked as teachers of harpsichord, piano and voice. The two frequently played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and were broadcast on the National Broadcasting Company radio network.[3]
After his partner died in 1959, Williamson continued this career as a solo performer and music teacher. He died in Chicago at age 92. Notable students include Alexander Frey, Dina Koston and Rosalyn Tureck.[4]
Discography
- Concerto in C Major for 3 Harpsichords and Strings / Les cyclopes - Williamson and Manuel (1948)
- Concerto in C Major for 2 Harpsichords and Strings/Musette de Taverny - Williamson and Manuel (1948)
See also
References
- Pages with broken file links
- Death-date and age transclusions with invalid parameters
- Articles with hCards
- 1897 births
- 1989 deaths
- American harpsichordists
- American pianists
- Music educators
- Pupils of Artur Schnabel
- University of Chicago alumni
- 20th-century American musicians
- 20th-century classical musicians
- 20th-century pianists
