Avril Coleridge-Taylor

Full biography Avril Coleridge-Taylor

Avril Coleridge-Taylor was a British composer born on March 5, 1903, in Croydon, Surrey, England. She was the daughter of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a famous composer, and Jessie Walmisley, an artist. Avril grew up in a musical family and received her early education from her father. She also studied with composer and conductor Vaughan Williams, as well as the pianist Harold Craxton.

Avril Coleridge-Taylor was a prolific composer, writing numerous works in various genres, from operas to choral works, instrumental music, and songs. Although she was a notable composer in her own right, her music often gets overshadowed by that of her father's. Nonetheless, her works were greatly admired during her time and have been recently rediscovered by modern musicians.

Some of her most notable compositions include "Three-Finger'd Jack," an opera that premiered in 1937 at the London Coliseum, "Nemesis Divina," a cantata for soprano, contralto, tenor, bass, choir, and orchestra, and "African Suite," a musical tribute to her father's African heritage.

Apart from composing, Avril Coleridge-Taylor was also a passionate music educator, teaching at the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Centre for Young Musicians in London. She was also a member of the Society of Women Musicians and actively promoted the work of female composers.

Avril Coleridge-Taylor passed away in London on May 15, 1998. Her contribution to classical music, as a composer and music educator, remains significant, and her works continue to be performed worldwide.