Elisabeth Lutyens

Vocation

Notable

Family

British noted family and notable composer who was one of the first English composers to adopt the 12-tone technique, notably with the "Chamber Concerto No 1," 1939. Lutyens was the daughter of Sir Edwin Lutyens, an architect who provided his daughter with the comfortable and cultured environment in which she was educated. Fluent in French, she spent 1922-23 in Paris, studying at the École Normale de Musique, and from 1926-30, she studied with H. Darke at the Royal College of Music in London. Although a true creative artist, Lutyens approached her writing in a purposeful, professional manner, without compromise, and she felt a strong sense of responsibility for both her historical antecedents and her contemporaries. "Infidelio," 1954 and "cantata De Amore," 1957 were not performed until 1973, and it was at that time that she was accepted as a leading British composer. Her other works include the chamber opera "Quincunx," 1959 and "Vision of Youth, " 1970. In her teaching, she was inventive, understanding and generous with her time. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1969. In 1972, her autobiography, "A Goldfish Bowl," was published. She married Edward Clark, a music conductor. Lutyens died in April 1983. Link to Wikipedia biography