Deyo, Ruth Lynda

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Deyo, Ruth Lynda

Deyo, Ruth Lynda, American pianist and composer, second cousin of Felix Deyo; b. Poughkeepsie, N.Y., April 20, 1884; d. Cairo, March 4, 1960. She studied piano with William Mason and Teresa Carreno and composition with MacDowell. She made her debut at the age of 9 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893); made her concert debut in Berlin (March 23,1904); subsequently played with major orchs. in the U.S. and in Europe; appeared in recitals with Kreisler and Casals. In 1925 she settled in Egypt and devoted herself mainly to composition. In 1930 she completed the full score of an opéra on Egyptian themes, The Diadem of Stars, to a libretto by her husband, Charles Dalton; its Prelude was perf. by Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orch. (April 4, 1931).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire