Leonora speyer biography

Leonora Speyer

American violinist, writer (1872–1956)

Leonora Speyer, Lady Speyer (née von Stosch; 7 November 1872 – 10 February 1956), was an American poet and violinist.

Life

She was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Stosch of Manze in Silesia, who fought for the Union in the American Civil War, and Julia Schayer, who was a writer.

She studied music in Brussels, Paris, and Leipzig, and played the violin professionally under the batons of Arthur Nikisch and Anton Seidl, among others. She first married Louis Meredith Howland in 1894,[3] but they divorced in Paris in 1902.[4] She then married banker Edgar Speyer (later Sir Edgar), of London, where the couple lived until 1915.[5]

Sir Edgar had German ancestry and following anti-German attacks on him that year,[5] they moved to the United States and took up residence in New York, where Speyer began writing poetry. She won the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her book of poetry Fiddler's Farewell.[6]

She had four daughters: Enid Ho

Leonora Speyer

Lady Leonora Speyer (Washington, 7 novembre1872 – New York, 10 febbraio1956) è stata una poetessa e violinistastatunitensenaturalizzatabritannica.

Biografia

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Nata a Washington, Leonora Speyer era figlia del conte Ferdinand von Stosch di Mantze e della scrittrice Julia Schayer. Studiò musica a Bruxelles, Parigi e Lipsia e nella sua carriera da violinista professionista fu condotta da direttori d'orchestra di rilievo come Arthur Nikisch e Anton Seidl.[1]

Fu sposata con Louis Meredith Howland dal 1984 al 1902, quando si risposò con il banchiere Edgar Speyer.[2] La coppia visse a Londra fino al 1915, quando i sentimenti antitedeschi spinsero Sir Edgar ad emigrare con la moglie a New York. Di ritorno negli Stati Uniti, la Speyer cominciò a scrivere poesie. Rinomata poetessa, nel 1927 vinse il premio Pulitzer per la poesia per la sua antologia Fiddler's Farewell.[3] Ebbe quattro figli: dal primo matrimonio ebbe Enid Howland, mentre dal secondo Pamela, Leonora e Vivien Claire Speyer.[4]

Speyer, Leonora (1872–1956)

American poet and violinist. Born Leonora Von Stosch in Washington, D.C., on November 7, 1872; died in New York City on February 10, 1956; daughter of Count Ferdinand Von Stosch and Julia (Thompson) Von Stosch; married in 1893 (divorced); married Edgar Speyer (a banker), in 1902; children: (first marriage) four daughters, Enid (who married Robert Hewitt); Pamela (who married Count Hugo Moy); Leonora Speyer (d. 1987, who lived with Maria Donska ); and Vivien.

Concert violinist with Boston Symphony Orchestra (1890); won Pulitzer Prize for poetry for Fiddler's Farewell (1927); taught poetry at Columbia University in New York City.

Leonora Speyer played the violin from the time her "chin was firm enough to hold it." She began her career as a concert violinist at the age of 17 playing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1890, and appeared later with the New York Philharmonic. When a severe bout of neuritis stopped her from playing, her friend Amy Lowell awakened her interest in the Imagist poets, and she started writing poetry herself. Her

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