Composer and pianist, born in Hamburg and died in Scarsdale (New York). Since 1930 she learnt piano and theory at the Sternsche Conservatory in Berlin. 1935 she was expelled from the conservatory for her Jewish faith. So she took private lessons with Schönberg’s scholar Walter Hirschberg and the pianist Alfred Meizel. 1938 her family had to go into exile to Stockholm. There she continued studying at the Music Academy. 1941 the family had to escape the Nazis again: They settled down in Mexico. There she studied composition with Manuel Maria Ponce and piano with Pablo Castellano. Especially in Mexico her works appeared often in concerts and radio. Since 1946 she studied with Paul Hindemith at Yale University (New Haven/Connecticut), graduating in 1948. Since 1948 she lived in New York, since 1958 in New Rochelle (near New York). She taught composition, theory and piano at the Adelphi University (1974-1977), at the Westchester university (since 1976) and at the New York University (since 1977). She wrote more than 100 works: 3 operas, many orchestral works, balletts, chamber music, piano music and songs.
(Rainer Stelle)