Joyce, Eileen Alannah (1908-1991)

Field of activity
Concert Pianist
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-775065

Biographies

Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Eileen Alannah Joyce was awarded an honorary doctorate of Music from Cambridge University in 1971. Her talent, commitment and service to music was further recognised in 1981 when she was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG). Born in Tasmania and educated in Perth, Eileen Joyce lived most of her life in England. But she never forgot her roots, and throughout her life remained a strong and active supporter of young musicians in Western Australia.

An internationally renowned concert pianist, Eileen Joyce's life started a long way away from the world stage. Eileen's rags-to-riches life story, which saw her become Britain's wartime sweetheart, has since been novelised and captured on film.

Daughter of Irish/Spanish parents, Eileen Alannah Joyce was born in a tent in the mining town of Zeehan, Tasmania in 1912. Her father, an itinerant labourer, relocated his family to Kununoppin in Western Australia when Eileen was only two years old.

Although they could barely afford it, Eileen began piano lessons when she was about nine and later studied piano at the Loretto Convent in Perth. Percy Grainger and Wilhelm Backhaus, hearing the young Eileen play, were so impressed by her talent that they encouraged her to further her studies in Europe. In 1927 Eileen left Australia to study at the Leipzig Conservatorium in Germany under Schnabel and Teichmüller, and at the Royal College of Music in London under Tobias Matthay.

In 1930 Eileen made her debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at one of Sir Henry Wood's BBC promenade concerts. Throughout her career Eileen performed with orchestras in Berlin, France, Italy, New York as well as all of the principle orchestras in the UK. Between 1936 and 1962 she made tours to Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, South America, New Zealand, Soviet Russia, Yugoslavia and India.

Eileen appeared in a number of films including Battle for Music, Girl in a Million and the autobiographical, Wherever She Goes (1951). She also contributed to the soundtracks of many films, and is probably most notably remembered for her C minor Rachmaninov performance in David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945).

Eileen married in London in 1937 and had a son. In 1942 her husband died on active service in North Africa. Although she lived most of her life, and died, in England, Eileen maintained a strong interest in young musicians from Western Australia.

In the late 1970s Eileen donated $37,000 to the University of Western Australia as a fund to assist in the development of music in Western Australia and especially to assist students, as Eileen Joyce Music Scholars, to obtain keyboard experience outside Western Australia.

Eileen also gave her personal records to the Callaway Centre, University of Western Australia in 1990. This substantial archive, spanning 1926 to 1989, consists of personal and career related correspondence, concert diaries, programs and newspaper clippings. The Eileen Joyce Archive also contains recordings never before released.

In 1971 Eileen was awarded an honorary doctorate of Music from Cambridge University. Ten years later, in 1981, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) for her service to music.

  • 1927 Studied at Leipzig Conservatorium (Germany) under Schnabel and Teichmüller and Royal College for Music (London) under Tobias Matthay
  • 1930 Debuted with London Philharmonic Orchestra
  • 1936 - 1962 Toured Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, South America, New Zealand, Soviet Russia, Yugoslavia and India
  • 1971 Awarded honorary doctorate of Music, Cambridge University
  • 1981 Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

Resources for Eileen Alannah Joyce

Selected resources (14)

Australian Women's Register

  1. The Complete Book of Great Australian Women: Thirty-six women who changed the course of Australia
    De Vries, Susanna
    [2003]
    Published: HarperCollins
  2. Eileen Joyce : a portrait
    Davis, Richard
    [2001]
    Published: Fremantle Arts Centre Press
  3. Eileen Joyce (1912-1991)Significant Tasmanian Women : Eileen Joyce (1912-1991)
    Wood, I W (Bill)
    Published: Women Tasmania
    Series: http://www.women.tas.gov.au/significantwomen/search/eileen_joyce.html
  4. Faith, Hope and Charity Australian Women and Imperial Honours: 1901-1989
    Australian Women's Archives Project
    [2003]
    Published: Australian Women's Archives Project
    Series: http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/honours/honours.html
  5. Records of the Australian Musical Association
    Published: National Library of Australia
    Series: http://www.nla.gov.au/ms/findaids/7996.html
  6. The Macmillan dictionary of women's biography
    Uglow, Jennifer (compiler and editor)
    [1998]
    Published: Macmillan
  7. The Oxford dictionary of music
    Kennedy, Michael
    [1994]
    Published: Oxford University Press
  8. The new Penguin dictionary of music
    Jacobs, Arthur
    [1982]
    Published: Penguin
  9. Eileen Joyce Music Fund
    Series: http://www.publishing.uwa.edu.au/spe/2000/scholarships/postgraduate/3.html
  10. Once you stop playing, you're forgottenCD Historicals : Once you stop playing, you're forgotten
    Orga, Ates
    Series: http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/1999/12/ppjoyce.htm
  11. Eileen Joyce: 1912-1991
    Wood, I W (Bill)
    [1999]
    Series: http://www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/zeemus/news.htm
  12. National Library of Australia: Interview with Eileen Joyce, Australian pianist (sound recording), interviewer: James Murdoch (1989)
    1 cassette, 57 minutes. Joyce speaks about her first piano; school; music lessons; her hands; early life; Percy Grainger; conductors; her first concert; agents; her overseas tours; her interest in the harpsichord; her own pianos; studying in Liepzig; her teachers; her recording career; playing in films; Frank Calloway; Sydney Pianists Competition; her marriages; her Australian tours; and her repertoire.
    ORAL TRC 2402
  13. University of Western Australia, The Callaway Centre for Research in Music and Music Education: The Eileen Joyce Archive (1926 - 1990)
    Comprises several thousand individual documents including personal and career related correspondence, concert diaries, programs, and newspaper clippings 1926 to 1989. Also contains recordings never before released, including one not known to have existed - that of Shostakovich's Second Piano Concerto with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting.
  14. National Library of Australia Manuscript Collection: Australian Musical Association (1952 - 1980)
    Minutes, agendas, reports, correspondence, administrative files, photographs, music scores, programmes, newcuttings and other material relating to the activities of the Australian Musical Association, especially concerts organised by the Association in London. Original scores in this collection include manuscripts by Margaret Sutherland, Don Banks, Miriam Hyde, Larry Sitsky, Linda Phillips, Colin Brumby and Arthur Benjamin.
    MS 7996

No Comments for this person

 

Add a comment



Possibly related

Digitised newspapers and more

Searching...

Minimise

Diaries, letters, archives

Searching...

Minimise

Archived websites (1996 – now)

Searching...

Minimise

Pictures, photos, objects

Searching...

Minimise

Books

Searching...

Minimise

Music, sound and video

Searching...

Minimise

People and organisations

Searching...

Minimise

Journals, articles and data sets

Searching...

Minimise

Maps

Searching...

Minimise

Lists

Searching...

Minimise
  1. Joyce
    Created by Tezza27, 12 items.

    Edward Joyce - East Melbourne

  2. Eileen Daly
    Created by Moira, 1 item.

  3. Eileen Skerritt
    Created by nadine.tinsley, 1 item.

  1. Joyce, Eileen Alannah (1908-1991)
    ... Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Eileen Alannah Joyce was awarded an honorary doctorate of ...
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.137)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.137)

Maps

No results

Minimise

Diaries, letters, archives

No results

Minimise
  1. Website: Australian Women's Archives Project
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 14 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.059)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.059)

  2. Website: Australian Women in War
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    View 16 matching archived pages
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.013)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.013)

  3. Website: Putting skirts on the sacred benches : women candidates for the New South Wales Parliament
    www.womenaustralia.info
    Matching pages:
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.01)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.01)

Pictures, photos, objects

No results

Minimise
  1. Jack Papworth and his Old Time Orchestra
    Papworth, Jack
    [ Sound : 2002-2005 ]
    At 2 libraries
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.001)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.001)

  1. U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1972 January - June
    U.S. Copyright Office
    [ Book ]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
    View online
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  1. Certified members update.(United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada)
    The Loyalist Gazette
    [ Article : 2005 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  2. DEATHS
    Europe Intelligence Wire
    [ Article : 2011 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  3. Books received
    Renaissance Quarterly
    [ Article : 2007 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  4. Obituaries.(Obituary)
    La Crosse Tribune (La Crosse, WI)
    [ Article : 2008 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0)

  1. IRISH CONCERT LAST NIGHT Community Singing Featured
    Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954) Friday 18 March 1938 Edition: HOME EDITION p 2 Article
    ... sang "Eileen Alannah." Items were also given by [Misses Joyce Egan, Fay Mann, and Elsa Kelly, and ... 185 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.009)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.009)

  2. Successful Concert at Mornington.
    Mornington Standard (Frankston, Vic. : 1911 - 1920) Saturday 8 November 1913 p 2 Article
    ... Quartetre; humor ous song 'Potted Poetry,' Mr Hughie McCartney; song 'Eileen Alannah' with chorus, Miss Lila Merton ; song 'The Gallant Vacquero,' Mr Toms Moore; dance 'Humoresque,' Miss Irene Joyce; ... 255 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.007)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.007)

  3. Enthusiatic Audience At Irish Concert
    Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954) Friday 18 March 1949 p 4 Article
    ... members were Ida Deveryand Mary Victory. They sang "Eileen Alannah" and "Ren- dezvous" in a taking manner ... Heaven" and "May Morning"); Joyce Smith ("Come Back To Erin" and "Little Dash of Dublin"). - ! Betty ... 359 words
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.006)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.006)