Cynthia Caruana Turner (1932 – 1 February 2021) was a Maltese pianist. She was Malta's best known pianist and one of its most celebrated musicians.

Career

At age 15, Turner received a scholarship to the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...

in London. She continued her studies in Germany and Italy, and under French composer and pianist

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

. Poulenc dedicated his 1949

Piano Concerto A piano concerto, a type of concerto, is a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for piano accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuosic showpieces which require an advance ...

to Turner in December 1952. She played Poulenc's Piano Concerto for

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

during a royal performance at the

Manoel Theatre (Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; ) is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fra António Manoel d ...

on 15 November 1967. She performed on stages, cable radio, radio and television in Malta, Italy, France, Germany and Egypt. In 1987 when the National Council of Women of Malta established the Bice Mizzi Vassallo Music Competition; Turner was a member of the organising committee and chaired the adjudicating panel for all editions of the contest. She was also a board member of the

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra is recognized as Malta’s foremost musical institution. Founded in 1968 as the Manoel Theatre Orchestra, in September 1997 it became an independent body and was officially named as Malta's national orchestra. In ...

and, in the early 2000s, a vice president of

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

Malta.

Honours and recognition

She became a member of the National Order of Merit in 2004, one of the Maltese state's highest honours. She also was made a chevalier dans L'Order des Palmes Académiques and an associate of the

in London. In 2017, the executive board of YWCA Malta nominated Turner for the ''Gieħ Ir-Repubblika'' award.

Personal life and death

Turner was born in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

in 1932. She grew up in

Sliema Sliema ( ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Districts of Malta#Northern Harbour District, Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. ...

. She went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart school. She was married to Anthony Caruana, with whom she had two sons. At the time of her death, she had five grandchildren. Turner contracted

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Malta The COVID-19 pandemic in Malta was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in Malta was an Italian 12-year-old girl on 7 ...

while receiving treatment for a hip and wrist fracture. She died on 1 February 2021, at age 88.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Cynthia 1932 births 2021 deaths 20th-century Maltese musicians 20th-century Maltese women 20th-century pianists 20th-century women pianists Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta Maltese pianists Maltese women pianists Musicians from Valletta