Moura Lympany facts for kids

Dame Moura Lympany DBE (born August 18, 1916 – died March 28, 2005) was a famous English concert pianist. She was known for her amazing talent at the piano and performed for many years around the world.

Early Life and Musical Start

Moura Lympany was born as Mary Gertrude Johnstone in Saltash, Cornwall. Her father was an army officer. Her mother first taught her how to play the piano. Mary went to a convent school in Belgium. There, her musical skills were greatly encouraged.

She later studied music in Liège. She then won a special scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1948, she became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music. This was a big honor.

First Concert and New Name

In 1929, when she was just twelve years old, Mary had her first concert. She played with conductor Basil Cameron in Harrogate. She performed Mendelssohn's G minor Piano Concerto. This was the only concerto she had learned by heart at that time.

Basil Cameron suggested she use a stage name. They chose "Moura," a Russian nickname for Mary. They also picked "Lympany," an old spelling of her mother's family name.

Further Studies and Big Competitions

Moura continued her piano studies in Vienna with Paul Weingarten. She also learned from Mathilde Verne in London. Mathilde Verne had been taught by the famous Clara Schumann.

In 1935, Moura made her London debut at the Wigmore Hall. In 1938, she took second place in the Ysaÿe Piano Competition in Brussels. This was a very important competition. By the time World War II started, she was one of the most popular pianists in the UK.

Wartime Performances and Beyond

On April 13, 1940, Moura Lympany performed Khachaturian's Piano Concerto in D-flat for the first time in Britain. This piece became one of her most famous. She was asked to play it when another pianist, Clifford Curzon, couldn't learn it in time.

Performing After the War

After the war ended, Moura Lympany was the first British musician to perform in Paris. This was on February 25, 1945, after the city was freed. She played Alan Rawsthorne's Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Khachaturian Piano Concerto. Adrian Boult conducted the orchestra.

She performed the Rawsthorne concerto many times. Her recording of it was released in 1958.

Life in America

In 1951, Moura Lympany moved to the United States. She married Bennet Korn, who worked in television. While living in New York, Moura continued her busy concert and recording career.

She was a "Steinway pianist," meaning she played Steinway pianos. She took part in the Steinway Centenary Concert in 1953. Ten Steinway pianists played a piece by Chopin together. Their rehearsal was even shown on Ed Sullivan's TV show, Toast of the Town.

Moura also gave a recital at Carnegie Hall in 1957. People praised her greatly, saying she was among the best women pianists in history.

Later Life and Recognition

In 1969, Moura Lympany was diagnosed with breast cancer. Just three months after her operation, she performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 4 for the Left Hand. She later had another operation but kept performing. She became very popular again.

In 1979, fifty years after her first concert, she performed at the Royal Festival Hall for Prince Charles. That same year, she was given the honor of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Festivals and Autobiography

In 1981, she started the annual Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine in France. This festival ran for ten years. She also helped start another festival in Brittany in 1986. From the mid-1980s, she lived in Monaco.

Her autobiography, Moura - Her Autobiography, was published in 1991. In 1992, she received an even higher honor. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). She also received awards from the Belgian and French governments. One of her last public roles was as a judge for a piano competition in Texas in 1993.

Death

Dame Moura Lympany passed away in Gorbio, France, in 2005. She was 88 years old. Her collection of papers and recordings is kept at the International Piano Archives in the University of Maryland.

Musical Legacy

Moura Lympany's music continues to be enjoyed today. Many of her old recordings have been re-released on CDs. This has helped new generations discover her amazing talent. Her recordings include works by famous composers like Mozart, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev.

Notable Recordings

• Brahms, Intermezzi
• Beethoven, Piano Concerto No 5 (Emperor)
• Chopin, The Complete Nocturnes
• Chopin, 24 Preludes, Op. 28
• Khachaturian, Piano Concerto
• Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 1
• Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3
• Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 1
• Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2
• Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3
• Rachmaninoff, 24 Preludes (She recorded this set three times!)
• Alan Rawsthorne, Piano Concerto No. 1
• Saint-Saëns, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor
• Schubert, Piano Quintet in A "The Trout"
• Litolff, Concerto Symphonique No. 4 in D minor

Images for kids

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  Lympany photographed by Allan Warren, 1973

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  Moura Lympany surrounded by other winners at the 1938 Ysaÿe Piano Competition.

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  Moura Lympany at the Rasiguères Festival of Music and Wine, c. 1990