Karin Elin Nadja Dayas (13 May 1892, Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland — 4 March 1971, Hamilton, Ohio) was an American pianist and music educator. She was a daughter of William Dayas and Margarethe Dayas, born Margaret Vocke, both pupils of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

. Karin Dayas studied at the Grossherzogliche Musikschule in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

and was sponsored by the Grand Duke. She won the Liszt prize at the age of 14 and continued her studies at the Conservatory of Cologne. In 1932, she gave the American première of

Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...

’s

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 ...

with the

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...

conducted by

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin Reiner (; December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was an American conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to promine ...

. Dayas made a long career at the

Cincinnati Conservatory of Music The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music was a conservatory, part of a girls' finishing school, founded in 1867 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It merged with the College of Music of Cincinnati in 1955, forming the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, w ...

where she taught from 1926 for 45 years. Her pupils include

Ward Swingle Ward Lamar Swingle (September 21, 1927 – January 19, 2015) was an American vocalist and jazz musician who founded The Swingle Singers in France in 1962. Life and career Born in Mobile, Alabama, Swingle studied music, particularly jazz, from a ...

and Babette Effron. Karin Dayas was married to the German-born violinist August Söndlin (1883–1966).

Sources

Biography of Karin Dayas.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dayas, Karin 1892 births 1971 deaths American women classical pianists Finnish pianists Finnish women pianists 20th-century American classical pianists American piano educators 20th-century American women pianists Musicians from Helsinki Finnish music educators Finnish women music educators American women music educators Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt, Weimar alumni University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music faculty Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln alumni Finnish emigrants to the United States 20th-century American women academics