Annie Louise Berry David (October 11, 1877 – May 7, 1960) was an American harpist.

Annie Louise David
A white woman standing with a harp, wearing a long gown
Annie Louise David, from a 1922 publication
Born
Annie Louise Berry

October 11, 1877
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedMay 7, 1960
San Francisco, California
Occupation(s)Harpist, music educator
Notable workAlbum of Solo Pieces for Harp (1916)

Early life and education

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Annie Louise Berry was born in Boston,[1] the daughter of Charles Franklin Berry and Emily Morgan Berry. As a young woman she trained as a pianist with Arthur Foote,[2] Emil Mollenhauer,[3] Heinrich Gebhard, and Edward MacDowell.[4] Her harp training was with Heinrich Schucker of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.[2]

Career

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David was a concert harpist, "the complete mistress of her intricate instrument".[5] She was based in New York,[6][7] then in the San Francisco Bay area from the 1920s.[4][8] She toured with Alma Gluck, Sarah Bernhardt, Maggie Teyte, Olive Fremstad, and other singers.[9] She played a custom lavender-and-gold harp, and was sometimes promoted as the "Lavender Lady"[10] or "The Lady in Lavender".[4] A 1921 reviewer said that "There is about Miss David's playing a certain refinement and elegance which is truly admirable" and "she was honored with the heartiest and warmest kind of reception".[11]

David was a founding member of the National Association of Harpists, and of the Northern California chapter of the association.[12] She compiled and edited a collection of harp scores, Album of Solo Pieces for the Harp (1916), with works by Beethoven, Hasselmans, Fauré, Donizetti, Sinding, and others.[13] Margaret Hoberg Turrell composed her Concerto in B flat minor for David,[9] and Andre Kostelanetz wrote "Lake Louise" for her.[4]

David also taught harp students,[14] including Anne Everingham Adams, principal harpist for the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera.[15][16] She taught a master class in harp instruction at the Cornish School in Seattle in 1922.[17][18]

Personal life

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Berry married her manager, Walter C. David, in 1905;[19] they divorced in the 1910s. She died in 1960, in San Francisco, aged 82 years.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mrs. David, Harpist, Dies Here". The San Francisco Examiner. 1960-05-08. p. 52. Retrieved 2022-06-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Annie Louise David Potent Factor in Developing Harp as Solo Instrument". Musical America. 22: 12. September 11, 1915.
  3. ^ "Harpist and Soprano to Present Program for First Afternoon Meeting Stockton Musical Club Oct. 8th". Stockton Evening and Sunday Record. 1921-10-01. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-06-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d "Program for Sonoma County Symphony Concert is Given". The Press Democrat. 1932-01-24. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-06-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Alexandre, Constance (September 17, 1921). "David-Woodworth Recital Pleases". Pacific Coast Musical Review. 40: 4.
  6. ^ "Annie Louise David Here from the East". Pacific Coast Musical Review. 40: 3. August 27, 1921.
  7. ^ "Annie Louise David Returns". Musical Courier. 87: 23. December 27, 1923.
  8. ^ "Davis-Woodworth Concert in Berkeley". Pacific Coast Musical Review. 22: 4. September 3, 1921.
  9. ^ a b "Annie Louise David at California". Pacific Coast Musical Review. 22: 4. September 3, 1921.
  10. ^ "'Lavender Lady' Coming Here; Symphony Orchestra to Open Concert Season Here Friday". The Press Democrat. 1932-10-30. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-06-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Metzger, Alfred (September 10, 1921). "Annie Louise David's Fine Art". Pacific Coast Musical Review. 40: 3.
  12. ^ Hembreiker, Linda-Rose (2019-01-01). "The Legacy of the Northern California Harpists Association". American Harp Journal: 13–18.
  13. ^ David, Annie Louise (1916). Album of solo pieces for the harp. Harold B. Lee Library. Boston : Boston Music Co. ; New York : G. Schirmer.
  14. ^ "Annie Louise David Returning to New York". Musical Courier. 87: 23. November 15, 1923.
  15. ^ Govea, Wenonah Milton (1995). Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century Harpists: A Bio-critical Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-313-27866-2.
  16. ^ Harris, Patricia Adams. "In Memoriam: Anne Everingham Adams, 1919–2013, Harpist, Teacher, Leader". BACAHS: Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  17. ^ "Annie Louise David's Master Class Attracts Seattle Interest". Musical Courier. 85: 41. July 20, 1922.
  18. ^ "Annie Louise David Delights Seattle Audience". Musical Courier. 85: 12. July 27, 1922.
  19. ^ The Musical Blue Book of America. Musical Blue Book Corporation. 1915. p. 228.