Hyde, Miriam Beatrice (1913—)
Hyde, Miriam Beatrice (1913—)
Australian composer, pianist, and teacher who composed over 160 works, including a dozen major orchestral pieces. Born in Adelaide, Australia, on January 15, 1913.
Won the Sullivan, Farrar and Cobbett prizes for composition at the Royal College of Music; won the Anzac Song prize three times.
Born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1913, Miriam Hyde wrote prolifically throughout her long career. She began studying under her mother before winning an Australian Music Examination Board scholarship at age 12 to Elder Conservatory at Adelaide University. She obtained a diploma in 1931 after studying with William Silver. From 1932 to 1935, Hyde studied at the Royal College of Music as an Elder Scholar. Howard Hadley and Sir Arthur Benjamin taught her piano, while R.O. Morris and Gordon Jacob trained her in composition. She performed two of her Piano Concertos in London with the London Philharmonic conducted by Leslie Heward and the London Symphony conducted by Constant Lambert. When Hyde returned home in 1936, Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted her Adelaide Overture. She taught at the Kambala School and became an examiner of music. Winner of many prizes for composition, Hyde wrote extensively, especially for piano. In 1981, she was awarded an OBE.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia