Maria Korchinska
Encyclopedia
Maria Korchinska was a distinguished 20th-century harpist
Korchinska entered the Moscow Conservatoire
in 1903 to study both piano and harp. On the advice of her father, she decided in 1907 to concentrate solely on the harp. Her father believed that Russia was entering a time of great change and that given the relatively high number of pianists in Russia it would be easier for his daughter to earn a living through the harp. In 1911 Maria Korchinska was awarded the Moscow Conservatoire Gold Medal, the first time it was ever given to a harpist.
In 1919 she became the Professor of Harp at the Moscow Conservatoire and also the Principal Harpist at the Bolshoi Orchestra. Maria Korchinska was a founder member of the Persimfans
"Orchestra without a conductor". She was one of the many musicians who played at Lenin's funeral.
In 1922 Maria Korchinska married Count Constantine Benckendorff DSO. Her daughter Nathalie was born in Moscow in September 1923. Conditions were extremely difficult during the Civil War in Russia for the family. For example, Maria Korchinska had to carry her own father's body to his funeral. It is believed that one of her two Lyon-Healey harps was in fact purchased for a bag of salt. In 1924 she left with her family for England where her son Alexander was born in 1926.
In England, she had a great career as a performer and an advocate for the harp.
Arnold Bax
dedicated his 1927 Fantasy Sonata for Harp and Viola to Maria Korchinska. She was the first harpist to play at the Glyndebourne Festival, in the 1930s and performed in the premieres of several Benjamin Britten
works including the Festival of Carols. During WWII she travelled ceaselessly throughout the country to play. In her 1969 BBC interview "Studio Portrait" she said:
"I played .... underground in caves near Lewes, where a piano could not survive the damp. I played in cathedrals and clubs and YMCAs and several times in secret camps and aerodromes, without having the faintest idea of where I was. My life was spent in the black-out trying to find my way. I was lucky I never missed one engagement in spite of all the difficulties in transporting the harp. Several times I was given up, but arrived with my instrument at the last moment, very hot and scared because of the bombing, but able to play."
Maria Korchinska founded the UK Harp Association and was an active member of the Wigmore Ensemble. In 1960 she set up Harp Week (subsequently known as the World Harp Congress
) in Holland with Phia Berghout, and was the first British judge in the Israeli International Harp Competition.
Favourite pieces included the Ceremony of Carols (Britten) and Dances Sacre (Debussy). Her 1953 portrait, by Norman Parkinson
, is in the archive of the National Portrait Gallery. Celebrated pupils include Karen Vaughan, currently Director of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Maria Korchinska practised 3 hours a day until her death in 1979.
Korchinska entered the Moscow Conservatoire
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
in 1903 to study both piano and harp. On the advice of her father, she decided in 1907 to concentrate solely on the harp. Her father believed that Russia was entering a time of great change and that given the relatively high number of pianists in Russia it would be easier for his daughter to earn a living through the harp. In 1911 Maria Korchinska was awarded the Moscow Conservatoire Gold Medal, the first time it was ever given to a harpist.
In 1919 she became the Professor of Harp at the Moscow Conservatoire and also the Principal Harpist at the Bolshoi Orchestra. Maria Korchinska was a founder member of the Persimfans
Persimfans
Persimfans was a conductorless orchestra in Moscow in the Soviet Union that existed between 1922 and 1932.The name "Persimfans" is an abbreviation for Pervïy Simfonicheskiy Ansambl' bez Dirizhyora . It was founded by Lev Tseitlin.-References:*...
"Orchestra without a conductor". She was one of the many musicians who played at Lenin's funeral.
In 1922 Maria Korchinska married Count Constantine Benckendorff DSO. Her daughter Nathalie was born in Moscow in September 1923. Conditions were extremely difficult during the Civil War in Russia for the family. For example, Maria Korchinska had to carry her own father's body to his funeral. It is believed that one of her two Lyon-Healey harps was in fact purchased for a bag of salt. In 1924 she left with her family for England where her son Alexander was born in 1926.
In England, she had a great career as a performer and an advocate for the harp.
Arnold Bax
Arnold Bax
Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, KCVO was an English composer and poet. His musical style blended elements of romanticism and impressionism, often with influences from Irish literature and landscape. His orchestral scores are noted for their complexity and colourful instrumentation...
dedicated his 1927 Fantasy Sonata for Harp and Viola to Maria Korchinska. She was the first harpist to play at the Glyndebourne Festival, in the 1930s and performed in the premieres of several Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
works including the Festival of Carols. During WWII she travelled ceaselessly throughout the country to play. In her 1969 BBC interview "Studio Portrait" she said:
"I played .... underground in caves near Lewes, where a piano could not survive the damp. I played in cathedrals and clubs and YMCAs and several times in secret camps and aerodromes, without having the faintest idea of where I was. My life was spent in the black-out trying to find my way. I was lucky I never missed one engagement in spite of all the difficulties in transporting the harp. Several times I was given up, but arrived with my instrument at the last moment, very hot and scared because of the bombing, but able to play."
Maria Korchinska founded the UK Harp Association and was an active member of the Wigmore Ensemble. In 1960 she set up Harp Week (subsequently known as the World Harp Congress
World Harp Congress
The World Harp Congress, Inc. is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to players of the harp, with members in over 50 countries around the world. It was established in 1981....
) in Holland with Phia Berghout, and was the first British judge in the Israeli International Harp Competition.
Favourite pieces included the Ceremony of Carols (Britten) and Dances Sacre (Debussy). Her 1953 portrait, by Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson, CBE was a celebrated English portrait and fashion photographer.-Biography:Parkinson was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd...
, is in the archive of the National Portrait Gallery. Celebrated pupils include Karen Vaughan, currently Director of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Maria Korchinska practised 3 hours a day until her death in 1979.
External links
- http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw77577/Maria-Korchinska
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/maria-korchinska-q34167/credits/all