May Henrietta Mukle

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(14 May 1880 – 20 February 1963) was a British

cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...

and composer. She has been described as a "noted feminist cellist", who encouraged other women cellists.

Early life

Mukle was born in London, the daughter of Leopold Mukle. Her father was an immigrant from Hungary, trained as a clockmaker, but best known as an organ builder in London, part of the partnership Imhof & Mukle. Her sisters Anne and Lillian were also musicians. She studied cello at the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

with .

Career

Mukle was a working musician for over fifty years, including concert tours in Australia, Africa, and Asia. Her instrument was built by

Montagnana Montagnana is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Padova, in Veneto (northern Italy). Neighbouring communes are Borgo Veneto, Casale di Scodosia, Urbana, Bevilacqua, Pojana Maggiore, Pressana, Minerbe and Roveredo di Guà. , the popula ...

and bought for her by an anonymous donor. Mukle was also a composer of works for cello and piano. She performed as a soloist, and in chamber ensembles. She was a member of the all-women English Ensemble, with violinist

Marjorie Hayward Marjorie Olive Hayward (14 August 188510 January 1953) was an English violinist and violin teacher, prominent during the first few decades of the 20th century. Biography Marjorie Hayward was born in Greenwich in 1885. An "infant prodigy", he ...

, violist Rebecca Clarke, and pianist

Kathleen Long Kathleen (Ida) Long CBE (7 July 189620 March 1968) was an English pianist and teacher. Life and career Long was born in Brentford, a suburb of London in the UK. McVeagh, Diana"Long, Kathleen"''Grove Music Online'', Oxford Music Online, accessed ...

. In 1925, Mukle played at New York's Aeolian Hall with

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

and

Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis, CBE (29 December 187622 February 1975) was an English violist. He was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame and a noted teacher. Career Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigra ...

. With her pianist sister, Anne Mukle, she was a member of the

Maud Powell Minnie "Maud" Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity. Biography Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bengelstrae ...

Trio. Also with Anne, she gave the first performance of

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

' ''Six Studies in English Folk Song'' in London in 1926. Mukle's apartment near

Wigmore Hall Wigmore Hall is a concert hall located at 36 Wigmore Street, London. Originally called Bechstein Hall, it specialises in performances of chamber music, early music, vocal music and song recitals. It is widely regarded as one of the world's leadin ...

was convenient for hosting visiting musicians; she also convinced the landlords to rent other apartments to musicians, so there would be fewer conflicts about noise. She founded the Mainly Musicians Club in a basement in London; during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, she converted it into a air raid shelter. She was an original member of the

Society of Women Musicians The Society of Women Musicians was a British group founded in 1911 for mutual cooperation between women composers and performers, in response to the limited professional opportunities for women musicians at the time. The founders included Katharine ...

, present at the organization's first meeting in 1911. Mukle was described in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' as "in the very front rank of living violoncellists", and her obituary in ''The Times'' says of her: "by the turn of the century she was fully recognized not only as an outstanding musician but as one of the most remarkable cellists this country had produced."

Personal life and legacy

Mukle broke her wrist in a car accident in 1959, at age 79, but resumed playing after it healed, performing in North Carolina in 1960. She died at

Cuckfield Cuckfield ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Sussex District, Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeas ...

, Sussex, in 1963, at the age of 82. Her portrait, painted by John Mansfield Crealock, is held in the museum of the Royal Academy of Music. The May Mukle Prize was founded in 1964 in her honour and is awarded each year to a cello student of the college.

References

External links

* ''Portrait of May Mukle'' *
Autographed postcard print of May Henrietta Mukle
before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in the National Portrait Gallery.
Recordings of May Mukle
included in the National Jukebox, Library of Congress. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muklé, May 1880 births 1963 deaths Women cellists Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music Musicians from London British cellists 20th-century British musicians 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century cellists