Sutherland, Margaret (Ada)

Sutherland, Margaret (Ada), Australian pianist, teacher, and composer; b. Adelaide, Nov. 20, 1897; d. Melbourne, Aug. 12, 1984. She was a student of Edward Goll (piano) and Fritz Hart (composition) at the Marshall Hall Cons, in Melbourne (1914), and then she pursued her training at the Univ. of Melbourne Conser–vatorium. In 1916 she launched her career as a pianist. In 1923 she went to Europe to study, receiving additional training in Vienna and London. In 1935 she returned to Australia and pursued a pioneering role in new music circles as a pianist, teacher, and composer. In 1970 she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. She was at her best as a composer of chamber music.

Works

dramatic: Dithyramb, ballet (1937); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidental music to Shakespeare’s play (1941); The Young Kabbarli, opera (1964). ORCH.: Pavan (1938); Prelude and Jig for Strings (1939); Suite on a Theme of Purcell (1939); Piano Concertino (1940); Concerto for Strings (1945); Homage to J. Sebastian (1947); Pastoral (1947); Walking Tune (1947); 4 Symphonic Concepts (1949); Bush Ballad (1950); The Haunted Hills (1950); Open Air Piece (1953); Violin Concerto (1954); Concerto Grosso (1955); Outdoor Overture (1958); 3 Temperaments (1958); Movement (1959); Concertante for Oboe, Strings, and Percussion (1961); Fantasy for Violin and Orch. (1962). CHAMBER: Violin Sonata (1925); Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (1934); Fantasy Sonatina for Saxophone and Piano (1935); House Quartet for Clarinet or Violin, Viola, Horn or Cello, and Piano (1936); Rhapsody for Violin and Piano (1938); 3 string quartets (1939; Discussion, 1954; 1967); Ballad and Nocturne for Violin and Piano (1944; later separated); Clarinet Sonata (1944); Adagio and Allegro Giocoso for 2 Violins and Piano (1945); Clarinet or Viola Sonata (1949); Trio for Oboe and 2 Violins (1951–56); Contrasts for 2 Violins (1953); Quartet for English Horn and String Trio (1955); 6 Bagatelles for Violin and Viola (1956); Oboe or Violin Sonatina (1957); Little Suite for Wind Trio (1957–60); Divertimento for String Trio (1958); Fantasy for Violin and Piano (1960); Quartet for Clarinet and Strings (1967). Piano: Burlesque for 2 Pianos (1927); Holiday Tunes (1936); 2 suites (1937, 1938); Miniature Sonata (1939); 6 Profiles (1945–46); Canonical Piece for 2 Pianos (1957); Sonata (1966); Extension (1967); Chiaroscuro I and II (1968); Valse Descants (1968); Voices I and II (1968). VOCAL: Choral pieces; songs; arrangements of old Australian bush ballads.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire