Lucile Lawrence (born February 7, 1907 in New Orleans, Louisiana - died July 9, 2004 in River Edge, New Jersey) [ [http://www.msmnyc.edu/ouralumni/classnotesarchive/default.asp Manhattan School of Music Class Notes: Lucile Lawrence] ] was a prominent American 20th Century harpist. At the end of her life, she was an active faculty member of Boston University and the Manhattan School of Music. Lawrence was born into a prominent family with roots in New England and England. She was a fourth-generation harpist, beginning her studies at age six. She began study in New York and Maine with the pre-eminent Carlos Salzedo at age fifteen, after graduating early from high school. She studied privately, and her music history and theory lessons were taken with none other than Edgard Varese, entering professional life without further matriculations.
She undertook her first concert tour of the Antipodes at age 18, a months-long 123-concert tour with a soprano with whom she gave joint recitals. On that tour she met Fritz Kreisler, who was also in the midst of a tour. Upon returning to the U.S., she continued her private study with Salzedo, and toured as first harpist in the Salzedo Harp Ensemble throughout the U.S., and with her own smaller Lawrence Harp Quintette.
Salzedo was invited to found the harp department of the newly formed Curtis Institute of Music, and Florence Wightman was his teaching assistant. When she left to take the Principal Harp position with the Cleveland Orchestra, he named Lawrence to take her place and promoted her to Associate instructor. As such, she taught the first-year students, who included such legendary harpists as Edna Phillips and Alice Chalifoux. When cutbacks due to the Depression caused her to be laid off, she was invited to found the Harp Department at the Philadelphia Musical Academy. She was so successful with her students there, that after just a few years, she was brought back to the Curtis faculty.
She married Salzedo, an event that was in the national press.[ [http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/10-00/10-22-00/e05ae153.htm Rabinowitz, Nancy: "At 93, harpist still is treasured teacher, mentor" Associated Press/SouthCoastToday.com. Date unknown.] ] Despite a successful trip to France with notable performances and a meeting of minds with Maurice Ravel, Salzedo decided he needed to start a summer teaching center rather than make another trip to France, even though it meant the loss of a promised concerto for harp by Ravel upon his return to France. So instead the Salzedo's purchased a house in Camden, Maine, remodeled it with interior decoration by Jules Buoy, and launched the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony, which continued into the late 1990s. However, the house proved to be expensive, so Lucile had to spend most of the summer working to pay the expenses rather than enjoy the heady summer life. At this time she had taken a position as harpist with the symphony orchestra of Radio City Music Hall, a distinguished position under renowned conductor Erno Rapee. She played there for several years, doing several shows a day and symphonic and operatic concerts as well, an excellent experience in sight-reading, quick study and excellence under pressure. Lucile did many recordings under the baton of Leopold Stokowski, an old buddy of Salzedo's, and a friend from her youthful summers in Seal Harbor, Maine. She recalled the games of charades all would gather to play, and how "Stoki" would swaddle his head in diapers to play the clue, "Moses in the bullrushes".This sometimes idyllic life of exalted music and high thinking ended in a divorce. She later remarried to a co-worker from Radio City Music Hall and had a family life. She continued to teach privately, formed the New York Trio with Frances Blaisdell and Seymour Barab, and joined the faculties of the Mannes College of Music, later Manhattan School of Music, and perhaps most famously, Boston University and its Tanglewood Harp Seminar. She also taught at the Longy School, Teacher's College of Columbia University, and gave master classes in Houston, San Jose, Denver, Philadelphia and many other locations. For many summers she taught 10-16 students of all ages at Tanglewood, giving an intense 8-week learning experience of private lessons twice a week and weekly master classes. She was the principal harpist for several seasons of the Firestone orchestra on television. She served as the first president of the American Harp Society, and frequently served as a judge for the International Harp Contest in Israel, where her student Grace Wong won a top prize.]Her students have held top positions and won competitions, but are moreover known for their artistry, intelligence, integrity, tone quality, taste, repertoire and consummate technical ability. Over the years, she taught such harpists as Cynthia Otis (New York City Ballet Orchestra), Maria Pinckney (St. Louis Symphony), Grace Wong (prize-winner, Rochester Symphony), Sara Cutler (soloist, now NYC Ballet), Karen Thielen, Susan Robinson (Kennedy Center), Faye Seeman (Wheaton College, Northern Illinois University faculties), Jennifer Hoult, Elizabeth Richter (Ball State University), Susan Miron (Centaur recording artist), Ray Pool, Saul Davis Zlatkovsky (artistic director, Harp Music Festival of Philadelphia), Donald Hilsberg (Colorado Springs Symphony), Karen Thielen (Santa Clara and San Jose State Universities), Elizabeth Panzer (soloist), Ellen Ritscher (former NTSU faculty), Hank Whitmire, Beth Schwartz Robinson (Pittsburgh Symphony), Lise Nadeau (New Jersey Symphony, other orchestras), Lois Colin, Emily Halpern Lewis, Francziska Huhn, and hundreds of others with solo, teaching, orchestral or careers that combine all of the above. She also touched countless other harpists' lives as a coach, friend and advisor.
She published the seminal texts of the Salzedo Method, including the G. Schirmer publications "Method for the Harp, ABC of Harp Playing" and "Art of Modulating," all with musical contributions by Carlos Salzedo, and Peer-Southern's "Pathfinder to the Harp," with one study by Salzedo ("Conflict"), and other preludes composed by Miss Lawrence. She published her editions of numerous solos, and the ever-popular "Solos for the Harp Player," which ranges from baroque to twentieth-century composers. She recorded a comprehensive two-lp recording of many works by Carlos Salzedo: his "Prelude for a Drama, Five Preludes" and "Five Poetic Studies," along with "Intrada" by Josef Tal, and her monumental edition from manuscript of the "Sonata for Harp" by Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach.
She worked with many composers, including John Lessard, Rudolf Forst, Quinto Maganini, Charles Fox, George Perle, and perhaps most extensively, Ami Maayani. She edited several of his works for publication, and is often not named on her editions. She published most frequently with Lyra, and G. Schirmer publishers.
She was a faithful exponent of the Salzedo Method and its most significant adherent, along with Alice Chalifoux and Edna Phillips. The three were often thought of as three queens of the harp, and not infrequently traded students back and forth among each other. However, she was part of the conception of the Method, something they perhaps followed closer than Salzedo himself, who was of course a living entity and continued to evolve throughout his life. She gave her last master class in Philadelphia in 2003, for the American Harp Society chapter there. At her death in 2004, Lawrence was still presenting new ideas on pieces she had taught for more than 50 years, and was ever searching for ways to improve harp playing, harp music, and its status in the world.
Lawrence was a longtime resident of River Edge, New Jersey.References
Discography:Ten Songs from the Hebrew by Stefan WolpeLeon Lishner with David Tudor, Samuel Baron, Lucile Lawrence, Claus Adam, Elden Bailey, Anahid Ajemian, Maro Ajemian, Alan HovhanessColumbia Masterworks OCLC 57040691King David by Artur Honegger and works by DebussyRene Morax, Blanche Honegger Moyse, Louis Moyse, Lucile Lawrence, Brattleboro Music Center Festival Orchestra (probably a recording of the Sonate for flute, harp and viola by DebussyVogt Quality Recordings OCLC 27038918 Benjamin Britten: Ceremony of Carolsunknown choir with Lucile Lawrence, solo harpist, under Franz AllersSoloist in the following RCA recordings (many re-released on the CALA label and others):Leopold Stokowski conductingAurora's Wedding LM 1774Tristan und Isolde LM 1174Debussy: Nocturnes, Prelude de l'Apres-midi d'un Faune, Clair de Lune LM 1154Sibelius: Symphony no. 1 LM 1125Heart of the Ballet: LM 1083Stravinsky/Ibert: Firebird, Escales LM 9020(this is a partial listing)Soloist in the Concerto for Harp and Seven Winds by Carlos Salzedo (Columbia)
Soundtrack of two films: Opus 20 Modern Masterworks: Edgard Varese (1992) interview directed by Helmut Rost
Around and About Joan Miro (1955)directed by Thomas Bouchard (she performs a work by Cabezon)
Her published editions include:Four Vignettes by Bernhard WagenaarConcerto for Harp by G. F. Handel Sonata for Harp by C. P. E. BachVariations on a Swiss Air by BeethovenVariations by L. SpohrSix Sonatinas by J. L. DussekThree-volume collection of music for beginners French, German, EnglishMaqamat by Ami MaayaniToccata by Ami MaayaniAncient Dance by Charles Fox
Music dedicated to Lucile Lawrence:Suite of Eight Dances by Carlos Salzedo, published by G. SchirmerPassacaglia dans le style Oriental by Ami Maayani, published by Lyra
