Rebecca
Clarke (1886–1979) was an English composer and performer who lived during the
early twentieth century, and our next woman to spotlight this month in Clef
Notes. She began her music studies early, being forced along with her siblings
to perform on demand for their father. She received her first formal education
from the Royal Academy of Music, but her father forced her to withdraw after he
received word that one of her teachers proposed marriage.
After
withdrawing from the Royal Academy of Music, Rebecca went on to become Charles
Stanford’s first female student at the Royal College of Music. He encouraged
her to switch her instrument from violin to viola, which she would later go on
and tour internationally.
Though
Rebecca was thrown out of her home in her twenties, she did not despair.
Instead, she used the opportunity to focus more on her musical studies and
performance schedule. Some of her notable accomplishments include becoming the
first female to play with the Queen’s Hall Orchestra as well as founding her
own female ensemble – the English Ensemble piano quartet.
Next
time, let’s look closer at one of Rebecca’s compositions – the Viola Sonata!
