Sandra Droucker (Drouker or Droucher) (7 May 18751 April 1944) was a Russian concert pianist, composer and music pedagogue.

Life and career

Sandra Droucker was born in

St. Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, the daughter of a Jewish German father and a mother who was a member of the Russian nobility. She studied music at the

St. Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...

with

Anton Rubinstein Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein ( rus, Антон Григорьевич Рубинштейн, r=Anton Grigor'evič Rubinštejn; ) was a Russian pianist, composer and conductor who became a pivotal figure in Russian culture when he founded the Sa ...

, and made her debut in 1894. She toured Europe and Russia, quickly developing her own style as a pianist. In 1896 Droucker made her debut in Berlin to positive reviews. During the 1880s she lived in Berlin, continuing her career as a concert pianist. Between 1904 and 1906 she taught in Berlin at Petersen's Academy of Music and at the

Stern Conservatory The Stern Conservatory (''Stern'sches Konservatorium'') was a private music school in Berlin with many distinguished tutors and alumni. The school is now part of Berlin University of the Arts. History It was founded in 1850 as the ''Berliner Musi ...

. Notable students included the Norwegian composer and pianist Anne-Marie Ørbeck (1911-1996), Hilde Lange, Leni Dilthey, Marie Silbermann, Delli Georges and Gerda Paucksch. In 1905 Droucker taught music to

Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia german: Viktoria Luise Adelheid Mathilde Charlotte , house = Hohenzollern , father = Wilhelm II, German Emperor , mother = Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein , birth_name = Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia , ...

. Droucker married the Austrian pianist Gottfried Galston in 1910 and changed her name to Droucker-Galston. The couple took up residence in Munich, and the marriage lasted until 1918. In 1926 Droucker returned to Berlin; however, after 1933, she left Germany because of her Jewish heritage and settled in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, becoming a Norwegian citizen in 1938. During these years, Droucker added music lectures to her concerts, speaking about music history and similar topics. She died in 1944 at the Red Cross Hospital Hamar, near Oslo.

Works

Droucker's body of composition is very small, as she was mainly a pianist and pedagogue. A number of her concert performances are available as sound recordings. *''Mazurka'' *''Two Pieces for Children'' *''

François Couperin François Couperin (; 10 November 1668 – 11 September 1733) was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as ''Couperin le Grand'' ("Couperin the Great") to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented ...

: 12 Piano Pieces'', edited by Sandra Droucker Text: *''Memories of Anton Rubinstein: Comments, suggestions and discussions (with many music examples) in its class at the St. Petersburg Conservatory''. Leipzig: Bartholf Senff, 1904.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Droucker, Sandra 1875 births 1944 deaths 20th-century classical composers Women classical composers Norwegian classical pianists German classical pianists Jewish classical pianists Russian classical pianists Russian women pianists Russian Jews Musicians from Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Germany Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Norway Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Norway Naturalised citizens of Norway Russian people of German descent German women pianists Women classical pianists 20th-century women composers 20th-century German women 20th-century women pianists